A Spark Divided
by MadnessJones
Summary: Bumblebee's parents visit him on earth, but all is not well with them, and Bumblebee learns secrets kept from him since sparklinghood. Takes place during the pre-movie G1 series. Slight AU.
1. The Visit

_Author's Note: Well, here's the first chapter of my new fic. It's mostly just set-up right now, but I've got a pretty good story planned for this fic (I hope). I decided to use Bumblebee as the main character (again) because he's just such a nice and positive little mech. Hope you guy.s stick around and enjoy the story :)_

* * *

Chapter 1

The Visit

It was quiet in Autobot Headquarters that day. With no one in danger and no sign of the evil Decepticons the Autobots and their human friends were free to catch up on work, projects, and relaxation.

Perceptor, Sparkplug, Bumblebee, and Spike were cataloging water samples to check for impurities. Perceptor was working on a new molecular compound that could potentially clean the most common forms of water pollution if it worked the way he hoped it would. Sparkplug was a great help in keeping the sensors and monitors in working order, and Spike and Bumblebee were writing down which water samples were clean and which were not. It was dull work, but Perceptor was a good friend, so Bumblebee and Spike did their jobs without complaint.

"So far sample C appears to be the most promising," Perceptor said under his breath as he adjusted the microscope on his back, "Bumblebee, how does sample N-7 look to you?"

"It seems fine," Bumblebee replied; trying not to add that it looked exactly like the dozens of other samples to him, "I would call it good, but not great."

"Hm…" Perceptor nodded in a contemplative way.

Spike yawned a little and tried to focus on the samples. He had never wished for Decepticons to come crashing through the roof before, but at this point he was seriously hoping for it.

After a few more minutes of pure tedium, Jazz strolled into the lab and said "Hey, Bee. You got a message on Teletran I. Your not gonna believe this. It's from Cybertron!"

"Cybertron?" Bumblebee asked; confused, "Who on Cybertron would want to talk to me? They might want to talk to Optimus Prime maybe, but me?"

"The 'Bot says his name is Leodox. That name sound familiar?" Jazz asked.

"Father!" Bumblebee cried out excitedly, "He's still alive? Did he say anything about Mother? Where is he? Where are they? Wait! Have the Decepticons found them?"

Seeing that Bumblebee's excitement was turning to worry, Spike decided to ask "Hey, you never told me you have a father. I didn't know Cybertronians had parents."

"I'll explain it later," Bumblebee said hurriedly, "I have to talk to Father right now!"

"Fine, you are dismissed," Perceptor said uselessly, as Bumblebee was already out the door by the time he finished speaking.

* * *

Bumblebee stood at the monitor staring in relief and admiration as he took in the countenance of his creator, Leodox. He wasn't exactly as Bumblebee remembered him, but after over 4 million years Bumblebee supposed that was normal.

Bright shining blades surrounded the mech's squared off head like a lion's mane, and his kind blue optics shone with fondness for his only creation. Where the old mech had once been the same bright yellow as his son, now his paint was gone; revealing the steel blue metal and bare rivets. Still, despite the lack of paint, the red Autobot logo was proudly displayed on his chest.

"Bumblebee, my son!" Leodox exclaimed joyfully.

"Father!" Bumblebee was overwhelmed by the happiness of seeing his father alive, "How are you?"

"I am well, son," Leodox replied; his voice gravelly yet soft as he spoke, "I heard that you survived and were recently brought back online. I am so grateful to see you are well. Your mother and I thought the crash had killed you."

"Mother? She survives?" Bumblebee asked immediately.

"Yes. In fact, she and I would like very much to see you," Leodox explained, "I know we should have come the instant we discovered you alive, but many changes have been happening on Cybertron, and it has taken its toll on us all."

Bumblebee didn't need his father's words to see the toll it had taken. His father was once a strong Autobot soldier, but now he seemed tired and worn. He could only imagine what horrors his family had to suffer under the oppressive Decepticon regime. Now that Megatron was awake, their suffering had likely only gotten worse.

"We will be arriving on earth in two solar cycles," Leodox informed Bumblebee, "We ran into your friend Omega Supreme on his shore leave on Cybertron, and he has agreed to bring us to earth to see you."

"You're coming here?" Bumblebee asked; nonplussed, "This is amazing! I can't wait to see you! You're going to love my friends and this beautiful planet! I'll show you everything! You'll see! We're going to have the best time ever!"

Leodox smiled and chuckled softly at his son's exuberance. Still, behind the smile there was a sadness that never seemed to go away. It reminded Bumblebee so much of Optimus Prime. His parents would love meeting Optimus for the first time! They would get to see firsthand the humans, the Autobots, and everything they had been fighting for since the Decepticons first started desecrating their world!

When they ended the transmission Bumblebee's pump chamber was still going a mile a minute! He was so excited! In just two solar cycles he would see the creators he thought he would never see again!

* * *

The next day, Spike and Carly were helping Bumblebee clean up a guest room for his parents to stay in. He wanted to make sure their quarters were perfect and that he was ready for anything.

"So, Bumblebee, you never answered my question from yesterday," Spike said as he ran a cleaning rag over the baseboards.

"What question?" Bumblebee asked absentmindedly as he scoured rust off of an old berth.

"I asked you yesterday how Autobots have children, but you never answered me," Spike reminded him, "I've never heard of Autobots having parents until now."

"We don't really call them parents. We call them _creators_ ," Bumblebee explained, "Also, not every Cybertronian has a specific creator or creators. Maybe I should start from the beginning. There are two ways to create a new Cybertronian. The first way is the Vector Sigma. This is the most common form of creation. A Cybertronian or group of Cybertronians goes to the Vector Sigma and brings an empty protoform, and then Vector Sigma gives it a spark, and therefore it becomes a living mech."

"You mean like what Optimus did with the Aerialbots?" Spike asked.

"Exactly," Bumblebee replied, "It is also what Megatron did with the Stunticons. Both Megatron and Optimus could be seen as the creators of those mechs because they were the ones who built the protoforms and encoded the personalities they wanted for their offspring. It's more complicated than that though, because the Aerialbots were built by several of us, and therefore anyone who helped build them could claim them as their sparklings. Of course, no one did, because they are being raised by all of us. During the Golden Age of Cybertron, the council used the Vector Sigma to create workforces assigned from birth for various tasks. Those sparklings would not have one specific creator, because they were products of the council."

"Whoa, that _is_ complicated!" Carly commented, "So what's the other way to create?"

"Ah, this would be what is known as a spark-bonded creation," Bumblebee replied, "This is what Femme frame types were used for during the Golden Age. They are the only ones that can merge with all other frame types to make new sparks. You see, there are many frame types. Minibots, Seekers, Racers, Cargo Types, etc. These frame types can merge with each other, but not with other types. Femmes, however, can merge with anything, and retain the coding of every merger they've ever had and pass it on to their new sparks. This is also why many consider them to be the best frame type to, um... _bond_ with. Of course, that was before the war. Most Autobot Femmes were killed by Megatron's forces long ago. It was genocide, and only the few that were programmed as Warriors were believed to have survived."

"Is that why you were so worried, Bumblebee?" Carly asked, "Did you think your mother was killed because she's a Femme?"

"Yes," Bumblebee admitted, "She and Father have been spark mates for 7 million years. The war has been going on for as long as I've been alive, but I can still remember that our home in Iacon had peace. I can still remember playing in the yard with my father or hearing my mother's soft singing voice as she prepared my energon before school. Both of my parents are Triple Changers. I know that's weird because I'm a minibot, but they never made me feel bad about it."

"Wait, how can your mother be a Femme if she's a Triple Changer?" Spike asked skeptically.

"Because the term Femme doesn't apply to the frame's capabilities but rather the ability they have to connect with all types of mechs for spark-bonding," Bumblebee explained, "Perhaps we should stop talking about this. It's a little awkward. Especially after mentioning the massacre. You see, the only types of Femmes Megatron would keep alive were Decepticons and Femmes made for... _pleasure_ _purposes_. Even neutrals were considered targets for termination. It was awful, and I thought Mother was…"

"It's okay, Bee," Carly said soothingly, "We don't have to talk about this anymore. Your creators are both alive, they're coming to see you, and everything's just fine…"

"Wait a minute," Spike suddenly piped up, "If you parents are both Triple Changers, then they must be _huge_!"

"Not really," Bumblebee shrugged, "Father is about the same height as Ironhide. I suppose Mother is quite tall for a Femme. She's almost the height of Optimus. She is probably about the same height as a Seeker."

"So your mother is taller than your father?" Spike asked and Bumblebee nodded, "That considered kind of weird on earth. Most guys don't want to date a girl that's taller than them."

"That's silly, Spike!" Carly reprimanded him, "I know you're a couple inches taller than me, but I wouldn't care if you were short, so why should you care if I'm tall?"

"I don't care!" Spike exclaimed; realizing he stuck his foot in his metaphorical mouth, "I just...Weren't we talking about Bumblebee's parents?"

Bumblebee smiled at his friends and continued cleaning the guest room. He hoped he could convince his parents to stay and help them fight the Decepticons. His father had been a great warrior once, and Bumblebee had always wanted the chance to fight by his side. Both of his parents were Triple Changers, and with the right alt modes that could be a great advantage for the Autobots. More than that though, he just wanted to keep them close by so he could know they were safe with him.


	2. A New Look

_Author's Note: This chapter is mostly fluff, I'll admit, but I couldn't help myself. Family dynamics tend to have both joyful moments as well as dramatic moments. Also, I just had to add a joke involving the movie continuity. I couldn't help myself! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter, and there will be more to come soon :)_

* * *

Chapter 2

A New Look

It was almost a week after the initial transmission from Leodox. The Autobots were waiting at Omega Supreme's landing pad outside Autobot Headquarters for the massive spaceship to come home and bring two passengers with him. Bumblebee was still excited to see his creators, but now the feeling was mixed with a sense of worry for what they would think of his new home on earth.

Spike was sitting with Bumblebee and waiting while the other Autobots talked among themselves. Spike was Bumblebee's best friend on earth, and he was anxious for the boy to meet the pair of Cybertronians that gave him life.

It was half past noon when the oversized Triple Changer came into view. Omega Supreme landed gracefully on his platform and opened the door.

"It is good to see you again, Omega Supreme," Optimus greeted their standoffish ally.

"Shore leave: pleasant. Good to be home," Omega Supreme said in that brief matter-of-fact way he always spoke, "Have: passengers. Two."

Omega Supreme then let down the runway from his open door, and a steel blue mech with blades on his head exited the ship. Spike had never seen Leodox before, and the mech certainly looked impressive despite his dents and missing paint.

"Optimus Prime, I am honored to finally meet you in person," Leodox said formally as he approached the Prime, "May I inquire about my son?"

"Father!" Bumblebee rushed to hug him before the old mech could even figure out what was going on.

Leodox let out a muffled "oof!" as he was practically tackled by his excited youngling. Leodox smiled warmly and looked around at all of the friendly Autobot faces. With the way the war was going on Cybertron it was difficult to find other Autobots in Iacon. He felt truly blessed to have made it back to his son and his people.

The next robot came out of the ship, and Spike had to do a double take. This was the first Femme he had ever seen, and he wasn't quite sure what he expected, but this wasn't it.

Bumblebee's mother was painted with a shiny pink chrome with pastel green marks on the vents on the side of her head as well as her boots. Her head was huge with a large set of air vents that surrounded her face like the headdress of a pharaoh. She had little pink fangs, and green optics. Spike had only seen blue or red optics before. He wondered if green was a Femme-exclusive color.

"My little Bumblebee!" The pink Femme held out her arms for a hug and Bumblebee ran to her eagerly.

Bluestreak approached the trio of hugging robots and said "Hi, my name is Bluestreak. It's nice to finally meet you. Bumblebee has told us so much about you ever since he found out you were coming over."

"It is an honor, Bluestreak," Leodox replied, "I am Leodox, and this is my lovely spark mate, Ophidelle."

Spike watched as Bluestreak shook hands with Bumblebee's parents to teach them the human custom. Leodox's servos were big and looked strong. Ophidelle had long purple fingernails on her dainty looking servos.

 _Wait, would that be fingernails or servo-nails?_ Spike wondered. _Maybe_ _I'll_ _ask her later._

Spike approached the group and waved up at the new mechs. Bumblebee picked up Spike carefully so he could be optic-level with his creators.

"Mother, Father, this is Spike. He's my best friend on this planet," Bumblebee introduced them with a proud smile on his face.

"Aww, he's adorable!" Ophidelle said in Cybertronian.

"Turn on your translator, my dear," Leodox instructed, "The natives can talk."

"Oh. Oops, sorry!" Ophidelle giggled as she adjusted the universal translator inside her helm, "Okay little fellow, do you hear me now?"

The Femme spoke with a soothing lilt to her voice. She had an accent, but Spike couldn't identify the earth equivalent. Was it Russian? German? French? Spanish? Transylvanian? For all Spike knew it was the Cybertronian version of a speech impediment. All he knew was that her voice was comforting, and her smile despite its fangs seemed warm and genuine.

"Yes, ma'am, I can hear you," Spike replied, "It's really nice to meet you. Bumblebee had been looking forward to this ever since he got your transmission."

"As have we, Spike," Leodox replied amiably, "I'm so proud to see the upstanding mech that our boy has become. I know the war is slowly taking its toll on your planet, but with Optimus Prime leading the charge and Bumblebee giving his best I'm sure that the earth will be safe soon enough."

"Leodox!" Ironhide shouted jovially as he came over to greet them, "I haven't seen you since the Battle of Helix!"

"Ironhide, my old commander!" Leodox grinned widely when he saw Ironhide, "I didn't know you were in the Prime's battalion! Well Bumblebee, it appears we both have taken orders from this tough old mech! How are you, my friend?"

"Good enough," Ironhide drawled, "Say, you still have that arm cannon?"

"Sure do!" Leodox replied enthusiastically.

Leodox then whipped out a small cannon from his subspace and charged it until it glowed a brilliant yellow at the mouth of the device. The cannon was also mostly steel blue, but still had tiny flecks of yellow paint sticking to it. The other Autobots nodded and made approving comments about how quickly Leodox was still able to draw his weapon on command. Ironhide seemed especially pleased.

"Do you have a weapon too, ma'am?" Spike asked Ophidelle.

"But of course, little one," Ophidelle cooed; still finding Spike's tiny size adorable.

Ophidelle then pulled a scepter from her subspace. It looked like it was made of a cross between steel and mother of pearl the way it glistened an almost translucent silver-white. The mouth of the device, if Spike didn't know better, looked like the head of an angry cobra about to bite someone.

Ophidelle's staff glowed a fuchsia color at the mouth. Leodox and Ophidelle then aimed their weapons together and fired on a boulder; exploding it into shrapnel!

That was when Spike noticed something else. They were both using their left servos to operate their weapons. He had never noticed whether or not Autobots favor one hand over the other before, but now he wondered. Could they be right or left handed, and which one was the most common? Was left-handedness common, or was it just an idiosyncrasy these two shared?

* * *

When they arrived at the base Optimus offered to let them rest up for a bit, but Leodox informed them that they needed to scan for alt modes first. The two robots would walk close to one another and often exchange playful banter. It was just as Bumblebee remembered them; so in love and full of good cheer.

"This is Teletran I," Optimus explained to the newcomers, "There are many earth vehicles scanned in its hard drive. You may select whichever alt modes suit your needs and abilities the best."

"Ooh! I have an idea, my love!" Ophidelle exclaimed giddily, "Why don't I pick our ground modes, and you pick our flight modes?"

"Always the risk taker I see," Leodox replied playfully, "Alright. You go first, my dear."

Ophidelle smiled excitedly and skipped over to Teletran I. Spike suppressed a laugh at seeing a giant robot skip like a schoolgirl. Even if she was a Femme, it still seemed weird.

"Hm…" Ophidelle scanned the selections carefully; flipping through every vehicle known to every country on earth. She wanted to get this just perfect! "Okay, I've got it! Offline your optics!"

"They're offline," Leodox replied.

"No peeking!" Ophidelle ordered in a sing-song voice, "Okay! Download complete! Let's transform together!"

Leodox chuckled at his spark mate's mirth. Bumblebee loved it whenever they played these silly games with each other.

The pair transformed simultaneously, and soon two new vehicles were in the room: A pink Corvette with the top down and a steel blue J-10 pickup truck.

"Slag! I should've gone with a truck!" Ironhide groused as he remembered his red van alt mode.

"I love it, my dear!" Leodox replied happily.

"Well, I thought you deserved something manly with off-road capabilities," Ophidelle purred as she drove closer to him.

"I also love yours," Leodox returned her flirtatious tone, "I've never seen an alt mode with so many curves…"

"Hey, keep your optics on the road, buddy!" Ophidelle joked, "Alright Leodox. Now it is your turn. Make sure you pick a flight mode that's fun and functional!"

Leodox then transformed back into his root mode and started scanning Teletran I for flight modes. He told Ophidelle to offline her optics, and she complied just as he had. She giggled softly every few seconds and tried to keep from fidgeting as she was scanned. Finally, Leodox announced he was finished.

"Oh, by the way, I decided to give us the same alt mode so we would match," Leodox informed his spark mate.

"Wonderful!" Ophidelle exclaimed, "I cannot wait to see it!"

The pair then once again transformed together, and sitting on the floor was a pair of pink and blue Enstrom 280 Shark helicopters.

"What the- What is _this_?" Ophidelle asked; confused.

"Helicopters, my dear," Leodox announced proudly, "Now we can go on rescue missions with Bumblebee while we're here."

" _Heli_ - _copter_?" Ophidelle said the word by elongating the first two syllables, "This is terrible! This alt mode makes us look fat! Not to mention it is one of the slowest forms of flight on the list! Why did you not simply make us hot air balloons while you were at it? _Heli_ - _copter_!"

Despite the way Ophidelle was complaining, Leodox couldn't help but laugh. He had heard this argument before. Ophidelle always favored speed over functionality, and she had a tendency to lose control of herself when in the air. Part of him felt guilty for tricking her into being a rescue vehicle, but he knew she would thank him when she was called on to help Bumblebee save lives and help people.

After Leodox stopped laughing at his spark mate's tirade, he finally calmed down enough to say "Um, Prime, would it be alright if Bumblebee showed us to our room now? It has been a long trip and we should probably recharge."

"Very well then," Optimus nodded, "I am glad you are both here. We can learn much about Cybertron since we've been away, and it is good for morale to have you here. I hope you will be comfortable aboard the Ark."

Before Ophidelle could pipe up to complain about the helicopter alt mode again Leodox quickly said "Oh, I'm sure we will be, sir. You have been most gracious to us. I'm glad Bumblebee has been given the opportunity to work with you."

Bumblebee watched his father interact with Optimus. Though the two mechs seemed to be quite different from each other physically, Bumblebee could see a lot of similarities in their personalities. Of course, his father was a bit more of a kidder, but otherwise he could see the dignity and warmth both mechs shared. He wondered if this was why he was so attached to Optimus as a second father figure. In that moment Bumblebee's greatest wish was that his parents would stay forever and help him and the other Autobots bring peace to the universe.


	3. Phone Home

_Author's Note: I'm much happier with this chapter than I was with the first two. Now this story can really get going! A big thanks to everyone who has read this far along, and I hope you enjoy this fic :)_

* * *

Chapter 3

Phone Home

The first item on Bumblebee's long itinerary for his creators' visit was a peaceful drive to the edge of town. Spike had told him about a lookout spot where he and Carly would watch the city lights at night and make out, and Bumblebee thought his creators would love to see it. Leodox insisted on going during the day, however, as his optics gave him trouble at night when he was driving.

Bumblebee and his creators made it to the beautiful cliff facing that overlooked the city. It wasn't quite as impressive during the daylight hours, but the pair were still impressed. It was, after all, the first human city they had ever seen.

"And what's this place called again, son?" Leodox asked.

"Central City," Bumblebee replied for the third time in an hour.

Bumblebee transformed back into his root mode, but his parents seemed content to sit there in their alt modes and watch the clouds go by.

"You know Leodox, this reminds me of the first time we ever went off-planet together." Ophidelle said fondly, "If we had been more intelligent, we would have changed our names and stayed there."

Leodox laughed lightly at her jest, but Bumblebee couldn't bring himself to. Her innocent quip was a harsh reminder that his creators had been surviving in a war zone for millions of years. It also reminded him that he hadn't been there to protect them. Bumblebee knew that was a silly thought. After all, his father was a trained soldier. It wasn't Bumblebee's fault that they had been separated when he was still a youngling. Still, he felt he should've been there…

Trying to distract himself from unhappy thoughts, Bumblebee changed the subject by asking "So Father, how do you and Mother know Omega Supreme?"

"We didn't," Leodox replied, unaware of any unpleasantness in Bumblebee's mind, "I met him at a bar for Triple Changers last deca-cycle. I saw the Autobot logo and decided to buy the poor slagger a cube of high-grade. I know how uncomfortable it can be in Iacon with so many Decepticons running around, so I wanted to let him know he had backup if he needed it. Then we started talking about our factions and families and your name came up in the conversation. It was a miracle! I thought you were dead, but thanks to a random word from a stranger I find out you're alive! Your mother and I knew right then that we needed to come and see you."

"I'm glad you came," Bumblebee said quietly, "I'm sorry I didn't try harder to find you after...Well, you know…"

"Don't beat yourself up, Bumblebee," Ophidelle waved away his concerns with those words, "I suppose going to Kalis for a family vacation was just a bad idea. We got separated, and a grand-scale attack happened. It was unavoidable."

Bumblebee had almost forgotten about how blasé his mother's attitude could be sometimes. She would act the same way every time they survived a raid in their hometown of Iacon. Bumblebee wished he could've seen Iacon during the Golden Age before everything went to scrap. His father often told him beautiful fanciful stories of the splendor and wealth of the city. The Decepticon's first large-scale attack ever was the burning of Iacon. Ever since then it was a city full of lawlessness and poor unfortunates with nowhere else to go.

Still, Bumblebee felt a warm nostalgic feeling for Iacon since that was where he grew up. No, the city that held tragic memories for him was Kalis…

* * *

 _4.5 million years earlier..._

Bumblebee's parents had found out that there was going to be another raid on Iacon by the Decepticons. Normally they hid under their house or else took shelter in a fortified Autobot base, but this time they had a bit more advanced warning, so his Father thought the smartest thing to do would be to take the family to a safer city. Ophidelle thought this wouldn't work, but she went along with her spark mate as always to keep the peace.

Bumblebee was excited to go somewhere exotic and new. He was rarely allowed to leave Iacon, and he had heard that Kalis was a neutral city with hot oil baths and lots of other younglings his age to play with. He had packed faster than his creators thought possible (considering he had never packed before).

His creators kept to their ground modes since the intelligence reports claimed the raid would be conducted by Seekers. The roads were crowded, but the trio managed to make it to Kalis before anything bad happened.

The first few days of their stay were incredible! There was a beach with incredible pristine oil bubbling forth along the edges of the rocks! There were shops that sold things Bumblebee thought only rich mechs could buy, but anyone could afford that stuff in Kalis! Even the energon tasted better!

That fateful night in the hotel Bumblebee was being tucked into bed by his mother and regaling her with the story of all the different organic animals this vendor on the beach was selling. She calmed him into recharge by stroking his helm softly and singing him his favorite lullaby. Her green optics were dimly lit as she tried to get the mechling to drift off into recharge on the unfamiliar berth.

This perfect scene was abruptly torn apart by an explosion outside their room!

"Mother! What's going on?" Bumblebee yelled as he shot out of the berth; all thoughts of recharge gone.

"It sounded like a cluster bomb!" Ophidelle shouted as she took the youngling's arm and ran with him out of the building.

The two of them jumped over debris and scuttled around obstacles as they ran through the lobby and out into the open. They had to find Leodox! He was still out there somewhere, and they had to get to him _now_!

There were Decepticons everywhere! Seekers littered the sky, and ground pounders culled the screaming citizens that ran too close to them! There was energon in the streets everywhere! Bumblebee felt a wave of revulsion as he stepped in the liquid that had once been the life-fluid of other mechs. His mother ran faster with him than he ever knew her capable of running, and she kept them hidden in the shadows at all times. Her optics were sharp and focused as she surveyed the area every astro second for avenues of escape and concealment. He felt a pain in his chest and wondered if he was having a spark attack!

Finally, they ran into an old holo-vid theatre. It was dark, and the aisles were littered with discarded chairs that had been knocked away from the floor they were once bolted to. Ophidelle ran under the stage with Bumblebee and let out in intake of air she had been holding.

"Mother...I feel hot…" Bumblebee mumbled once it was safe to talk.

Ophidelle looked down at her creation to inspect for damage, and suppressed a gasp when she saw what had happened to him! Bumblebee's chest plates were ripped open, and wires were exposed everywhere! He had likely been hit by an energy weapon as they were running, but she had been so focused on getting them to safety that she didn't even notice!

" _Shh_ , just rest now, my son," Ophidelle whispered soothingly to him, "We are safe in here, and your father will find us. All he has to do is follow our spark bond."

"I'm scared," Bumblebee admitted.

"No you're not," Ophidelle said flatly, "You do not know fear. You are your father's creation, and as such you have a responsibility to extinguish any fear that tries to wedge its way into your spark. Now, how can I help you be brave?"

"Sing to me?" Bumblebee requested, "I'm never afraid when you sing."

Ophidelle smiled warmly at her only creation and sang him the special song she used to calm him down when he was sad or uncertain. She would never use the word scared; not for _her_ son. Bumblebee was the bravest mechling she knew of, and that would never change no matter how many others she met. To keep him sane, she would sing him the lullaby. Ophidelle could tell from the damage that it might be her last chance to do so.

 _One, two, three,_

 _Soaring through the sky._

 _One, two three,_

 _Watch them as they fly._

 _Oil is flowing like water,_

 _For every son and every daughter._

 _One, two three,_

 _See them as they go._

 _One, two, three,_

 _Like lightning bolts they flow._

 _One, two, three,_

 _Soaring through the sky._

 _One, two, three,_

 _Watch them as they fly._

* * *

That was Bumblebee's last memory of his mother and what happened in Kalis. The next memory after that was waking up in an Autobot medical tent. He had barely survived, and it was a wonder anyone ever found him under that theatre stage. No one could tell him what happened to his parents, and he didn't really have time to look for them. Luckily, he was taken in by Ironhide and shortly after upgraded to his adult form as an Autobot scout.

Looking at his parents now, Bumblebee was grateful they were there with him on earth. Still, he felt guilty for not trying harder to find them. He also wondered if they tortured themselves with similar thoughts of not trying harder to find him. He supposed he was very lucky now. He had three fathers! There was Leodox his creator, Ironhide his adoptive father, and Optimus Prime his leader and instructor.

* * *

Optimus Prime couldn't recharge. His thoughts wouldn't allow him to. Ever since the new Autobot couple had arrived on base all he could think about was his own beloved spark mate; Elita I. Seeing an actual living Femme on board the ship had reminded Optimus that somewhere on Cybertron his own beloved was out there fighting the Decepticons with her crew of Autobot Femmes.

He had only seen her once since leaving Cybertron, and that meeting had been a bittersweet experience. It had been good to see her again back then, but they had been captured by Starscream and had both almost died at his hands. In the end, he had to leave Cybertron again, and leave her behind to fight the forces of the Decepticons without him.

Now, all he wanted was to be able to talk to her, and to be able to see her on the screen of Teletran I. The room was dark as it was their simulated nighttime. The leader of the Autobots was quiet as he searched through codes and information sources in an effort to locate the frequency of the Femmes' hideout.

Optimus first called one of his intelligence officers on Cybertron, Kup, to see if he knew the whereabouts of Elita I and her crew. Fortunately, he had seen them recently and knew exactly how to get in contact with them!

Optimus steeled himself to make the call. He knew it was strange to need to see her so badly now of all times. The reason was clear to him though. The Ark was happy now, and in his heart he just needed to know that she and her friends were safe. Then he could be happy too.

When the transmission went through it was answered by a blue Femme with light blue accents; Chromia.

"Hey, Prime!" Chromia greeted him with a tough-gal smirk, "What do we owe the honor? Say, there isn't any trouble on earth, is there?"

"No, we are well. I just wanted to speak to Elita I," Optimus replied respectfully.

"Sure thing, Prime," Chromia said cheerfully.

Optimus waited a minute for Elita I to finally appear on the screen. When she did, she looked exactly the same as he remembered her. Her smiling face and lustrous pink armor were to him like energon to a starving mech. It had been so long...

"Elita," Optimus breathed her name as if it were the word for love itself.

"Optimus!" Elita I exclaimed, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I just...I just needed to see you," Optimus replied weakly. He knew this probably didn't make a lot of sense.

"Well I'm glad you called," Elita glossed over his vagueness, "Has any headway been made to destroy Megatron?"

"I am afraid not," Optimus replied solemnly, "How are our forces doing back home on Cybertron?"

"Not good," Elita offlined her optics as she spoke, "Shockwave has optics and audios all over this planet. Every time we think we're making progress something else goes wrong. I heard from Ultra Magnus just 2 orns ago, and we're losing the city of Iacon to the Seekers! Kaon had fortified itself, so the Decepticons are likely gearing up for a major strike against our dwindling forces. Moonracer was injured during our last energon raid, but she'll be alright. I just don't know how much longer we can hold out."

Optimus's spark hurt deep inside of him. All he wanted was to be able to rush back to Cybertron and fight alongside her; to protect her from all this. He couldn't though. He couldn't leave earth so long as the Decepticons still threatened it. Not only would the resources of this planet give Megatron the ultimate advantage, but the humans would be killed if the Autobots weren't there to protect them. No, Optimus had to stay and try his best to repel the invaders.

"I am sorry I cannot be there, Elita," Optimus offered a feeble apology, but Elita knew he meant it, "I know you can rally the Autobots to victory. Just stay strong for me, Elita. We will reunite when this war is over."

"Yes, we will, Optimus," Elita affirmed, "The hopes of Autobots everywhere rest with us, and I know we can do it. Still, there are rumors…"

"What kind of rumors?" Optimus asked.

"Well...I've heard that Shockwave is sending reinforcements down to earth for Megatron," Elita said gravely, "I hope it isn't true, but be on the lookout just in case."

"I will," Optimus nodded.

They talked on for nearly three hours. Normally neither of them could spare so much time, but during this difficult time they needed each other's support. Optimus knew he had made the right decision to call his spark mate.


	4. Crowded

_Author's Notes: I've noticed that a lot of authors have different ideas on how spark bonds work for transformers, so I thought I should explain how they work in this story. The spark bond allows the mechs to feel the presence of those close to them, but not their thoughts or emotions. Hope that avoids any confusion. Anyway, enjoy the chapter :)_

* * *

Chapter 4

Crowded

There was panic in the streets as buildings collapsed in on themselves and caught fire all around the frightened populace! The Decepticons normally kept to the power plants and oil refineries. No one knew why they were suddenly attacking London, England!

There were 8 Decepticons in on the attack: The elite Seekers, the Coneheads, and Rumble and Frenzy. The humans scrambled and wondered why the Decepticons were doing this to them. The answer was as stupid as it was obvious; they were just bored.

Starscream had listened to the troops complain that their combat training was the same thing every single orn! He was getting tired of their whining, so he decided to let them practice their marksmanship on the city below! Unfortunately, they probably should have been practicing flying skills, as Skywarp and the Coneheads decided to ram into random buildings to see who could take the biggest impact.

Despite his team's, well... _obviousness_ , Starscream wasn't too worried about the Autobots. Most of them were stationed in America at the moment. It would be hours before they could even get to England, and by then the Decepticons would be long gone.

Rumble and Frenzy used their pile drivers to flush a group of humans out of a pub and then would grab whichever ones ran close enough! Then the two started juggling the humans like hacky sacks! This went on until one of the inebriated humans was jostled a little too much and threw up on Frenzy's chest plate!

"Eww! Slagging human!" Frenzy cursed, but by then most of the humans he dropped were already running away.

Rumble fell over he was laughing so hard! Frenzy wiped away the biofluid with a cloth from his subspace, and then turned his ire on Rumble; who was still laughing himself silly. Frenzy punched Rumble, then Rumble punched Frenzy, and before long the pair of Cassetticons were wrestling on the ground!

Skywarp was busy racing around with Ramjet and Thundercracker to see which one of the them could go the longest without crashing into a building while weaving around them. Every now and then he would catch sight of humans looking at him from a window and running away. He laughed every time one of them tripped over its own feet trying to escape the Decepticon's mirthful gaze.

He was having the time of his life when suddenly something went wrong. Skywarp felt a disturbance in his spark, and suddenly he was clutching his chest and forcing himself to land on a roof so he wouldn't crash! Thundercracker noticed this and immediately went to his best friend's aid.

"Skywarp! What's wrong? What happened?" Thundercracker asked frantically.

"It's my spark!" Skywarp gasped.

"Is it a spark attack?" Thundercracker asked.

"No, it's not that…" Skywarp moaned, "It feels...crowded. Like it's too full!"

"Too full?" Thundercracker repeated; confused.

"Yeah!" Skywarp nodded forcefully, "I can always feel you and 'Screamer in here; that's no big deal, but now there's...More. I feel more people, and it's too crowded! What do I do?"

"Skywarp, that's impossible," Thundercracker tried to reason with him, "You can only feel relatives, trine mates, and bond mates. There is no way some stranger had found their way into your spark bond. Unless of course you spark-mated with a Femme on your last shore leave when you were overcharged…"

"This is not a joke!" Skywarp snapped as Thundercracker laughed, "I have a serious problem here! There's more people in my spark than I can count!"

"Well, how far can you count?" Thundercracker asked seriously.

"Um...What comes after three?" Skywarp asked.

Thundercracker face-palmed and tried not to look too annoyed as he said "You know 'Warp, I try to tell people that you're not an idiot, but then you do something like tell me that you don't know how to count to four-"

"Four! That's it!" Skywarp exclaimed, "That's what comes after three! There's four in here, if you count me!"

"You don't count yourself, Skywarp," Thundercracker groused.

"Whatever!": Skywarp snapped, "The point is that someone is in here and I don't know who it is or why they're in here!"

"Well, is it close by?" Thundercracker asked.

"I...I don't know…" Skywarp realized that it wasn't close enough to get a lock on, but he didn't know what that meant.

By now the Coneheads had landed and were looking at the pair of Seekers funny. Thundercracker and Skywarp ignored them as they tried to sort this out. Skywarp couldn't think of another living mech that he could possibly have a spark bond with. So who was _in there_?

* * *

Bumblebee guided his creators to the rec room for some energon as well as a chance for them to get to know his friends and colleagues. Leodox talked amiably as they walked, while Ophidelle looked around the Ark with wide optics. Leodox had spent a lot of time with Ironhide talking about their shared experience of caring for Bumblebee. Leodox was grateful that Ironhide was the one who helped raise his creation. He would've trusted Ironhide with his life.

When they got to the rec room, there were more mechs than there were places to sit!

"You have got to be kidding me!" Ophidelle gasped, "I have never seen a place so crowded before!"

"Tell me about it!" Leodox laughed, "This reminds me of that time I volunteered at the energon dispensery in Praxus back during the early days of the war! Poor little mechs and Femmes with door wings clashing trying to shove to the front of the line...It was quite a depressing sight."

"Perhaps we should not be here," Ophidelle suggested, "After all, if we have done nothing so far, then we really do not need the energon…"

"My dear, we haven't refueled in 5 orns," Leodox reminded her, "I'm not leaving until we get some energon."

"5 _orns_!?" Bumblebee exclaimed; shocked, "Why didn't you tell me you needed fuel? You've been here for a full day already! How low is your energy?"

"5%," Leodox replied.

"7%," Ophidelle added.

" _What_? That's critical deprivation!" Bumblebee chastised them, "How could you let it get this low?"

"Son, I know the humans have been good to you here, but back home there's an energon famine," Leodox explained gruffly, "We can't always afford to have what we need. It's been especially bad given the high fuel requirements of Triple Changers. We've conserved by mostly staying in our ground modes. Don't worry son, we've made do."

"Still, there are a lot of Autobots trying to refuel…" Ophidelle replied nervously, "I do not think we should bother them…"

"Now I know you're starving!" Leodox joked, "Since when is the great Ophidelle ever afraid of anything? Let alone going into a room to eat!"

Ophidelle sighed, defeated, and followed her spark mate and son into the rec room. Bumblebee also thought the behavior was odd. She was never shy! She wasn't even nervous when she met Optimus Prime; the leader of their people! What was going on with her?

The line was long, but after 20 minutes of waiting they made it to the dispenser. The purple liquid flowed into their waiting cubes, and Leodox and his mate stared at it as one would stare at a diamond catching the light.

"There are no impurities…" Ophidelle muttered softly.

"Wow...I never realized the richness of the energy on this planet," Leodox agreed.

"That is why the Decepticons want the earth so badly," Bumblebee explained, "It is also why good people like Spike and Sparkplug are in danger. Don't worry though; I and the other Autobots are doing everything possible to stop the Decepticons from raping this world and killing its people!"

The trio sat down at a table that was already occupied by Bluestreak, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe. It was the only table left with seats. Bumblebee could already see that Bluestreak was talking a mile a minute while the twins listened respectfully. It was always interesting to see these three together. The twins were usually the most disrespectful robots on the whole ship, but they got along quite well with gentle Bluestreak.

"...And then Ironhide shot the cannon, but nothing came out!" Bluestreak finished his anecdote to the sound of the twins' laughter.

"Hey, guys!" Bumblebee greeted them as he and his creators sat.

"Hey, Bumblebee!" Sideswipe smiled when he saw the yellow Autobot, "Bluestreak was just telling us about that time Ironhide accidentally grabbed one of Wheeljack's experiments instead of his own weapon."

Bumblebee sat beside Sideswipe and his father sat beside Sunstreaker, leaving his mother between Sunstreaker and Bluestreak. She shifted uncomfortably as she sipped Her energon in silence.

"Sounds to me like you've got a lot of stories, youngling," Leodox said to Bluestreak, "Well, I always appreciate a good story. I'd love to hear what life is like for you here on earth."

"Oh of course!" Bluestreak perked up at the chance to talk, "Well first of all it's very different from Cybertron. For one thing this planet is very close to a star they call the sun, and there's no artificial force field to keep the carbons in. Their atmosphere does that by itself! Also, there's a lot of cool things to do here! They're got movies, which are like holo-vids only two dimensional. They also have video games, nature walks, lots of different types of sports, and hundreds of thousands of organic species living on the planet! Those are always fun to watch. And books and playgrounds and…"

As Bluestreak spoke Ophidelle looked around the rec room like a trapped animal. She never liked crowds, and this was no exception. Sitting so close to the young chatterbox wasn't helping, but the one she was really nervous about was the golden mech she was currently sitting next to.

Sunstreaker was losing interest in the conversation now that it had turned to earth. He didn't want to talk about the planet he had to see everyday. Noticing that Bumblebee's mother had also lost interest, he thought he would try to start a conversation to keep both of them occupied.

Sunstreaker turned his chair to face the Femme, and her mouth very subtly twitched when she noticed he was facing her.

"So, um...I don't remember your name," Sunstreaker said in an effort to start the conversation.

"That is a common complaint," Ophidelle replied, "I am Ophidelle. You are of course Sunstreaker, the former gladiator of Kaon. My older brother used to watch those tournaments when he was younger, and he even had your rookie card."

"Really?" Sunstreaker was surprised that was the first thing she thought of, "Well, I'm flattered."

Ophidelle didn't reply, and before long the silence between them had grown thick and awkward. The only sound from their table was Bluestreak talking about the merits of energon consumption over processing organic matter like humans do.

"So...Anyway…" Sunstreaker was trying to find anything to say to this difficult Femme before he lost his temper, "...I like your chrome. What type of wax do you use?"

"Whatever is available," Ophidelle shrugged, "I just have to make sure my sealants are acid-proof. My sigma ability is the production of corrosive acid through my fangs. It melts metal, so I have to be very careful."

"A Triple Changer with a _sigma ability_?" Sunstreaker whistled in admiration, "You must be very capable in the battlefield!"

"I am average," Ophidelle replied without inflection, "Of course a true meritocracy must consider more than physical strength. In my opinion, information is power. I prefer to use my mind instead of my body. By the way, how does my Bumblebee fight? He must be doing something correctly if he is still alive."

"He's average," Sunstreaker threw her words right back at her, "And what is a..A myrtle-rickety?"

"Meritocracy," Ophidelle corrected him, "It is a form of government that values accomplishment and ability above all else. I would dare to say that the gladiator pits you fought in would count as a meritocracy, as your ability was all that mattered then. I also hear that you have a high kill-rate for your service to the Autobots. You and your brother specialize in killing Seekers, yes?"

"Sure do," Sunstreaker declared proudly, "We developed a technique that knocks them right out of the sky!"

"That is quite an accomplishment for a ground mode Transformer," Ophidelle commented with a small smile, "Have you taught my son your moves?"

"Not yet, but we might if he ever shows interest," Sunstreaker replied.

Ophidelle got up then; having finished her energon cube. Leodox followed her out and Bumblebee told them he would catch up. Sunstreaker huffed at how rude she was, but Bumblebee didn't notice. It was typical of them, he thought, to never leave a room without each other. He couldn't picture one without the other. The only time he could picture them apart, it had been in Kalis.


	5. Propaganda

Chapter 5

Propaganda

"Are you sure you don't want to go with us?" Bumblebee asked his mother again.

"I am certain, Bumblebee," Ophidelle replied.

"Well, I'll bring you back something nice," Leodox said agreeably.

"Just go," Ophidelle urged, "I have to get this room cleaned up! Seriously Leodox, our son works his servos to the frame getting this room clean for us, and then you want me to just leave it a mess while we go off and play with the humans? I don't think so! You mechs have fun, but I'm not leaving until these quarters are spotless!"

"Whatever you want, my dear," Leodox chuckled as he and Bumblebee left the room, "So Bumblebee, where did you say we were going again?"

"To a baseball game with Spike, Carly, and Chip," Bumblebee replied jovially, "We've got seats near the front row, too! You'll love it! I know how much you love sports from different cultures, and the rules to this game are quite complicated; just the way you like it!"

"I'm glad you're thinking of me, son," Leodox nodded fondly, "I just wish your mother didn't have to be such a wet towel."

"Wet _blanket_ Father," Bumblebee corrected him, "The term is wet blanket."

Leodox nodded again as they went outside. The pair of mechs then changed into their alt modes and drove away. Bumblebee would pick up Spike and Carly, and Leodox would drive with Chip. They were looking forward to a relaxing day at the ballpark.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gears had just been kicked out of Ratchet's office...again. Everyone kept telling him he was just being a hypochondriac. Who did they think he was? Red Alert? This was an outrage! He really _could_ have cosmic rust!

Gears grumbled as he shuffled back to his quarters. He began stomping down the hall just to let off steam, but soon even that grew tedious and he decided to just walk normally.

As he passed the different rooms he heard singing coming from one of them. It was the beautiful silken voice of a Femme.

 _Oh yeah, I forgot...One of Bee's creators is a Femme. Maybe I should introduce myself...See if she can identify the cosmic rust on this ball joint of mine._ Gears thought.

Gears approached the door and opened it quietly. He was just going to barge right in, but he wanted to hear her sing a little before he interrupted her. Ophidelle was folding a stack of cleaning cloths and softly singing to herself. Gears could barely make out the tune, but it sounded familiar. Then he heard the words...and froze in his tracks!

 _One, two, three,_

 _Soaring through the sky._

 _One, two, three._

 _Watch them as they fly._

 _Oil is flowing like water,_

 _For every son and every daughter…_

Gears was mortified! Such filth in an Autobot base! It was unthinkable! And yet, here was this strange Femme spewing that awful trash right here in the Ark! He had to tell someone before it was too late!

* * *

"Gears, I told you already, you don't have cosmic rust!" Ratchet snapped irritably.

"No Doc, it's not that! We've got bigger problems!" Gears replied adamantly, "We've got Decepticon propaganda making its way into our base!"

"What are you talking about?" Ratchet asked impatiently.

"The Trine Song!" Gears exclaimed with wide optics, "Bumblebee's creator was singing that filthy Trine Song! You know, the one Megatron commissioned 9 million years ago to recruit Seekers to his cause with the promise of fame and prosperity?"

"Yes, yes, I've heard of it," Ratchet sighed, "That doesn't make any sense though. Why would Leodox sing-"

"Not Leodox!" Gears interrupted, "The other one! The Femme!"

"Ah yes, Ophidelle. I've met her. She's a lovely Femme," Ratchet replied, "Are you sure you heard correctly?"

"Well, the tempo was slower-paced with more of a lilt to it, but I'm sure it's the same song!" Gears declared vehemently, "My question is: why is that Femme singing a 9 million year old brainwashing song? She's not a Decepticon or a Seeker! So why would she fill our halls with this trash?"

"Why did you come to me with this instead of Jazz, Prowl, or Optimus?" Ratchet asked point-blank.

"Because they're not here..." Gears admitted, "They went to England to help clean up some damage done by a bunch of 'Cons. You're the highest ranking officer that's still here! Come on, Ratchet, I need your help! We can't let this spread!"

Ratchet sighed heavily, but finally said "Well, I suppose you have a point. We'll speak with Ophidelle first, however. We don't want to start an ugly rumor if it has no basis in reality. For all we know she could be ignorant to the song's origins."

Gears grumbled but ultimately agreed. They would start by confronting the Femme, and if that didn't work they'd take this to one of the ranking officers.

* * *

"Bumblebee! What are you doing back here so soon?" Ophidelle asked as Bumblebee walked into her quarters.

"The game was cancelled due to rain," Bumblebee replied glumly.

"Oh yes, that can be very dangerous," Ophidelle replied knowingly.

"Actually, rain on earth is only made up of water, but I suppose it could be dangerous for a human to slip on it," Bumblebee clarified, "They don't have acid rain like we do on Cybertron though."

"That is nice," Ophidelle said as she scoured the berth with cleaning powder.

Just then the door opened with a swoosh and Bumblebee saw that it was Ratchet and Gears.

"Hi, guys!" Bumblebee greeted them amiably, "What brings you here?"

Ratchet started to look guilty as he entered the room with Bumblebee standing right there. He wondered what the little scout would think of them coming to question his mother about Decepticon propaganda. Gears, however, showed no signs of slowing down.

"Hey lady! We need to talk about something!" Gears snapped at Ophidelle.

"Hm? Oh, I did not see you down there," Ophidelle replied casually, "What is your name? I am Ophidelle. Are you a friend of Bumblebee's?"

"Can it, Femme! We know what you're up to!" Gears said accusingly.

"Gears…" Ratchet growled under his breath, "What my thick-headed associate is trying to say is that we need to speak to you about the code of conduct on board this ship so that we can avoid any future incidents such as the one that occurred here just a few short breems ago."

"Incidents?" Bumblebee asked, "What happened?"

"I honestly have no idea," Ophidelle shrugged.

"I'm talking about your gutter mouth, Femme!" Gears shouted.

" _Excuse_ me?" Ophidelle puffed her vents out to their widest setting; affronted.

"You heard me, lady! You were singing a Decepticon recruitment song!" Gears was irate, and it looked as if Ophidelle might actually slap him.

"Wait!" Bumblebee interjected, "What song are you talking about?"

"The Trine Song!" Gears replied heatedly, "She was singing a song designed to recruit Seekers to the Decepticon cause 9 million years ago!"

"My mother isn't that old," Bumblebee informed them, "She's only 8 million."

"Bumblebee, I believe I may know what they are talking about," Ophidelle said as she ran a servo over Bumblebee's helm in a soothing manner, "They are referring to our special lullaby."

" _Lullaby_?" Gears bellowed indignantly, "You would sing Bumblebee to sleep with that Seeker _slag_?!"

"I did not realize you would find it offensive," Ophidelle explained, "You say it was propaganda before the war?"

"Of course it was, you crazy Femme! What else would it be?!" Gears shouted.

Ratchet by this time had sat down on the berth and was staying as far away from the confrontation as possible. He was utterly embarrassed by Gear's behavior toward a guest in their ship! Still, he was curious enough to want to hear her explanation.

"I was not alive during the Golden Age of Cybertron," Ophidelle explained calmly, "I only remember this song as the lullaby my dear father would sing to me before I fell into recharge at the end of each deca-cycle. I do not think of war when I think of this song. I only think of my father's gentle servos and my older brother's boisterous laugh. I just wanted to give Bumblebee those same happy memories. Does it even matter what this song was a million years before I was born?"

"Of course it matters!" Gears snapped irately, "What if something that was offensive from your youth was suddenly thrown in your face like it was nothing?"

"That happens to me all the time," Ophidelle stated matter-of-factly, "That's life. Nothing stays the same. Meanings and interpretations change. This is a good thing. It means this war can change as well. It means future younglings could say the names Megatron or Optimus without reverence or fear; just say them as empty words. Still, I did not mean to offend you. If you don't want me to sing that song around here again, then I won't. Is everything alright now?"

"Well…" Gears knew he hadn't caught a spy or anything, but he was still reluctant to drop the issue so easily.

"Everything is fine," Ratchet answered for Gears, "I'm sorry we bothered you, miss."

"Oh, don't apologize!" Ophidelle smiled broadly, "This is the most exciting thing that has happened since Leodox and I got here! A mild interrogation certainly beats folding rags any day!"

Ophidelle laughed lightly and saw the pair of 'interrogators' out the door. Bumblebee felt a wave of confusion come over him. Despite his mother's calming explanation it was still a little shattering to realize that their special song had its origins in the Decepticon way of life. How could something that sounded so peaceful be used for such evil purposes? It didn't make any sense to him.

* * *

Megatron had called his troops to the throne room. No one knew what he wanted but everyone was nervous about the warlord suddenly calling a surprise meeting. The room was filled to capacity! Starscream sneered at the crowd from his place beside Megatron, and Soundwave looked at the other Decepticons with cold indifference. The smaller ones were pushed to the back and therefore couldn't see anything. The Stunticons were punching each other to try to get more room.

The murmuring in the room slowly died down as Megatron called the Decepticons to order with a wave of his black and silver arm. His face was serious, but not angry. No one could figure out what that might mean.

"My fellow Decepticons," Megatron's gravelly voice filled the room as he spoke, "I've been in touch with Shockwave, and it seems there's a new rumor going around about the Autobots' defenses. Apparently some of my troops on Cybertron believe the Autobots are recruiting new members and bringing them down to earth."

"Who cares?" Motormaster interrupted, "We can take on as many filthy Autobots as they can throw at us! Heck, I'll take on their so-called _new recruits_ all by myself!"

This earned the cheers of Motormaster's fellow Stunticons and glares from the rest of the Decepticons that felt he should've never interrupted Megatron.

"Nevertheless, we need to either confirm or disprove these rumors," Megatron said as he stood up from his chair and paced the room, "I have sent Laserbeak to spy on the Autobots to see if their numbers match what we have on file. If there are more Autobots from Cybertron, then they will be weak from starvation. They will be perfect targets, and I trust you all know what to do with targets…"

Evil grins plastered the faces of every Decepticon in the room. The taste of an easy kill was sweet to them. The only one who remained stoic was Soundwave, and only because no one could read past that face mask he wore. Once Laserbeak returned they would know everything, and then they would plan their next attack accordingly...


	6. Stories

_Author's Note: This chapter took a little longer than I had hoped. Hopefully my writing will pick back up now that I've got more ideas for this story. Enjoy :)_

Chapter 6

Stories

Bumblebee, Spike, Carly and Bumblebee's creators sat around the guest quarters for a while and watched a double feature movie on TV. The first movie to play was The Little Mermaid, and the second movie was Dracula. Leodox had expressed interest in human culture, and Bumblebee thought this would be the safest way to introduce him to human entertainment. Especially after the rain incident.

Leodox didn't say much during or after the movies. Unfortunately, Ophidelle had enough to say for both of them.

"I don't know who wrote this slag, but they really need to find another job," Ophidelle complained.

"What do you mean?" Carly asked the pink Triple Changer, "I thought The Little Mermaid was so romantic!"

"But the octopus thing was an utter moron!" Ophidelle protested, "Why would she ask for the little mermaid's voice? She wants the kingdom! Just ask to be made heir of the kingdom instead of the mermaid! The mermaid is moving away to marry the human, so she won't even care! What an idiot!"

Spike laughed (since he had been forced by his girlfriend to sit through that movie).

"Yeah, that one was pretty lame," Spike agreed with Ophidelle, "But Dracula was cool right?"

" _Dracula_?" Ophidelle asked incredulously, "You mean the guy that thinks human biofluids are a sufficient source of energy? Ha! That stupid human could never sustain himself on the limited vitamins and minerals contained in human blood! He would starve!"

"You know something…" Carly thought out loud, "With the fangs and that accent, you kind of remind me of Dracula, Ophidelle."

"Seriously?" Ophidelle asked skeptically, "Well, if I ever try to feast on humans I want you to punch me! That is the stupidest plan I could ever think of...Well, that and stealing voices instead of conquering the ocean. Even the octopus Femme's alt mode was disappointing. She just looked like herself only bigger!"

Leodox chuckled and finally decided to come to the kids' rescue.

"Say, since the television doesn't have any decent stories, why don't I tell you a few stories about Cybertron?" Leodox suggested in a friendly manner.

Bumblebee and the kids scooted closer from their spot on the floor to hear what Leodox was going to say. Bumblebee always loved his father's stories about his time in the war and his time as a factory worker during the Golden Age of Cybertron. His mother turned to look at Leodox; her rapt attention and adoring smile encouraging him to continue. Bumblebee loved the way his mother would still stare at his father with such admiration even after all these vorns. It was as if she were looking at an action hero or the holder of the matrix of leadership!

"First of all, let me tell you about the time I was sent to a hospital in Helex to find survivors of a Decepticon raid," Leodox began dramatically, "I still remember the smoke that still hadn't cleared from the air, and the crunch of glass beneath our pedes as my friends and I searched for survivors. I wasn't with Ironhide's unit at this time. I had just been transferred to Diva D's unit, so I was the new guy. I guess I felt I still had a lot to prove, because I was the first one to rush in there! Oh, I was such a brash cadet back in those days…Well, anyway, we get to the hospital's intensive care unit, and lo and behold! We actually find a survivor of the Decepticon's attack! It was none other than councilman Hard Drive's spark mate! She was almost dead, but thanks to me and my partner Ozone she was able to get to a medical unit in time to be saved! Oh, I'll tell you, when I was making bolts in a factory in my younglinghood I never imagined the kind of horrors I would see in my life…"

"Younglinghood?" Carly asked curiously, "You mean you were just a kid when you were working in a factory?"

"Well, more or less," Leodox shrugged, "That's just how it was during the Golden Age. I didn't have creators, you see. I was sparked by the Vector Sigma on the council's behalf to work in the bolt factory in Iacon. I actually worked there with Cliffjumper if you can believe that!"

"I see," Carly nodded, though it was clear she still had questions, "That's kind of sad. So Ophidelle, were you built for the council, too?"

"Hm?" Ophidelle turned absentmindedly, not expecting to be addressed directly, "Oh, I wasn't alive during the Golden Age, dear. I can only describe my generation as the Rubble Age, because by then everything had turned to rubble!" Ophidelle laughed at her own joke and then continued, "Seriously though, I was built by my creator specifically for the war effort. All of my siblings were."

"Wow, I didn't know that, Mother," Bumblebee replied; surprised by this admission, "How many siblings do you have?"

"Only two of us made it to adulthood," Ophidelle said offhandedly, "My father was a bit of a perfectionist..."

The group waited for Ophidelle to continue, but after a minute it was clear that she wasn't going to keep speaking. Finally, growing impatient, Carly asked "What does that mean, _perfectionist_? What does that have to do with your family's high mortality rate?"

"Little girl, we are _at war_ ," Ophidelle stressed her words as if they explained the secrets of the universe, "My father was charged with getting only the best soldiers for our army. We were expected to fight as soon as we were out of the sparkling stage, and the energon crisis had already begun…"

Ophidelle rubbed the bridge of her nose and heaved an intake of air. She did not want to talk about this; especially not in front of her son and in front of these flesh creatures. Organics tended to have trouble with the nuances of Cybertronian culture. How could she put this so they would understand?

"...Do you know what a Sigma ability is?" Ophidelle suddenly asked after a moment of silence.

"Um, not really," Spike admitted.

"Well, a Sigma ability is a special power the Vector Sigma gives a spark," Ophidelle explained; hoping cold facts would distract her from what she had to say next, "It is kind of like...It is a special talent that only a select few Cybertronians have. Sigma abilities are rare, and therefore offer a great advantage on the battlefield."

"Like Mirage and his invisibility," Bumblebee offered.

"Yes, just like that," Ophidelle smiled at her son's quick thinking, "Well, my father was determined to give only the best possible sparklings to the cause, so he tried and tried to create sparklings in the Vector Sigma that had Sigma abilities. Of course, this is not something that can be controlled, so he... _tried_ several dozen times over the course of his life. The sparklings that had no Sigma abilities were... _relieved of duty_."

It took a moment for her words to finally sink in. When they did, Bumblebee found himself bolting off the floor and shouting " _What?_ Mother, _no_! He didn't!"

Ophidelle just sighed and said "You are a grown mech, Bumblebee. It is as good a time as any to let you know the truth. My creator was a cold-sparked murderer. I and my older brother were the only ones good enough to earn our lives. You understand, of course, why I do not like to discuss this…"

Bumblebee did understand. He understood that there was a sick feeling in the pit of his energon storage tank. He understood now why he had never met his grand sire or his uncle. How could she ever speak of happy times with a family that would make killing machines for the council? Bumblebee had been with the Autobots for so long, and yet he often forgot about their roots as the former defenders of the council; back when there was still a council to defend.

He also saw in that moment the contrasts between his parents. His father was always eager to tell stories about the war and the Golden Age. He relished in his past and used his stories to teach Bumblebee right from wrong. Leodox had protected and defended Cybertron for vorns, and he was proud of that. As a child Bumblebee only knew of his mother as a house-femme. He never even considered the possibility that she could have military training, or that she was built for anything other than giving new life and raising a family. She never talked about the war, or any job she had before meeting Leodox. Part of him realized that he didn't know her very well at all.

* * *

Laserbeak flew back into the Nemesis victorious! He had gathered the information Megatron had requested regarding the Autobots and any potential new allies they might have, and soon the warlord would know everything.

He flew in as Megatron was arguing with Starscream; Soundwave standing by impassively as usual. Laserbeak wondered if he should come back later, but then remembered that his information was important to the Decepticons. He would just have to hope the silver mech wasn't in too bad a mood.

"I don't care what it takes, just do it!" Megatron was yelling at Starscream.

Starscream glared daggers at his leader, but didn't argue further. He knew it was pointless unless he wanted a new storage hole in his chassis. Laserbeak showed up in that moment with the surveillance, and Starscream couldn't help but feel he'd been saved by the bird.

"Laserbeak: report," Soundwave commanded dispassionately.

Laserbeak played back the few minutes of footage he had managed to get from the guest quarters at the Autobot base. It was footage of a mech and a Femme playing a board game and talking about whether or not the orange interior of the Ark was ugly. The Femme certainly thought so. Megatron listened until both of their names had been spoken: Leodox and Ophidelle.

"Soundwave, search all files of known Autobot soldiers!" Megatron ordered, "I want as much information as possible on these two at once!"

"Yes, Megatron," Soundwave replied complacently.

It took several minutes for Soundwave to gather all the data, and what he finally got was disappointing at best.

"Search: complete. Designation: Leodox. Age:170,040 vorns. Occupation: low ranking field soldier for Autobot forces in Iacon. Record: unimpressive. Conclusion: not a threat to Decepticons," Soundwave reported in that drab monotone voice.

"And the other one?" Megatron asked impatiently.

"Search: inconclusive. Designation: unknown. Age: estimated between 85,000 to 100,000 vorns. Occupation: unknown. Record: unknown. Conclusion: insufficient data for analysis."

"Hm...I doubt it's significant," Megatron waved away his concerns, "It's just a Femme. Probably a new playmate to keep Prime's troops company. Then again, there is that warrior group led by Elita I...We'll need to keep an optic on the situation. These two might be a bigger threat than I give them credit for…"

Megatron steepled his fingers and continued to watch the now silent surveillance tape on the screen. Leodox and the Femme milled around for a bit and didn't seem to have a care in the universe. Well, Megatron would soon change that...


	7. Vanity

_Author's Note: I just wanted to thank everyone who is reading this story. It is the first one I've ever done (publicly) with OCs, and I probably won't make a habit of it. Still, this idea wouldn't leave me alone, so I continue on. The next chapter is when things will really come to a head, but this chapter is alright as well. Enjoy :)_

* * *

Chapter 7

Vanity

Bumblebee and his creators stepped outside the Ark and into the shining afternoon sun. It was a beautiful day, and Bumblebee wanted to take the opportunity to fly kites with his parents. Leodox didn't understand the point of just running around with a piece of plastic on a string waiting for wind, but Ophidelle felt it would be the perfect opportunity to get away from the gruesome orange walls of the ship.

Bumblebee had a green box kite ready when they left, Leodox had a red kite shaped like the Autobot insignia he had made just for the occasion, and Ophidelle accidentally ripped her kite with her servo-nails and surreptitiously replaced it with a grocery bag on a string hoping no one would notice.

"Dearest, why does your kite say 'Wal-Mart'?" Leodox asked when he looked at his spark mate's rumpled-up mess on a string.

"Um...I recycled an old kite to make mine," Ophidelle simpered.

Leodox took one look at her sheepish smile and smirked right back at her. That look told her that he would cover for her if Bumblebee asked. It was nice to have such a suave mech watching her back.

Before they could even make it past the lot however, two pristine lamborghinis came racing through and stopped on a dime right in front of the trio!

"Sunstreaker! Sideswipe!" Bumblebee greeted them excitedly.

Then the pair transformed into their robot forms and grinned at the little yellow scout.

"Hey, Bee," Sideswipe said nonchalantly, "Wha'cha doin'?"

"My creators and I are going to fly kites in the park today," Bumblebee explained, "Would you like to join us?"

"Flying kites?" Sideswipe asked skeptically, "No way! Sunny and I have things to do!"

"Like cleaning out the energon dispensers again?" Bumblebee asked knowingly.

"Uh…" Sideswipe knew he couldn't shrug this one off, "Um, yeah. Prowl caught us trying to switch out Red Alert's security footage with a tape of Girls Gone Wild. We got in serious slag for that one…"

Ophidelle wasn't listening to Bumblebee and Sideswipe's conversation. She noticed that Sunstreaker kept staring at Leodox and making a disgusted face. She didn't know what had gotten into the golden Autobot, but she wanted to find out.

"Excuse me, Sunstreaker," Ophidelle said as politely as possible, though a hint of indignation was still present in her voice, "Is there a problem I can help you with?"

"I was just, um…" Sunstreaker still looked grossed out, but also seemed to hesitate under Ophidelle's watchful glare, "Leodox doesn't have any paint!" He suddenly burst out with it, "How can you stand to be seen with him? He's covered in dents and scrapes, and he doesn't have any paint left at all! It's just so... _ugly_. you do realize that his appearance is a reflection on you? Why would you let your own spark mate go around looking like stripped-down junk parts? It's obvious you try _way_ harder than he does, and it seems disrespectful for him to go around like a pile of scrap!"

"Mm...I see," Ophidelle replied noncommittally, "I will keep what you said in mind."

"Thank you," Sunstreaker said in relief.

"I can see that looks are very important to you," Ophidelle said to Sunstreaker, "I would wager that you try very hard to look your best."

"Of course!" Sunstreaker huffed, "I am an Autobot, and a member of Prime's inner circle! I have an image to maintain."

"Of course you do," Ophidelle nodded and smiled, "If you will excuse me though, I have promised my creation that we would fly kites. Oh, would you like to see my beautiful kite, Sunstreaker?"

Ophidelle smiled with degenerate pride as she lifted up her grocery-kite and showed it to the vain ex-gladiator. He made a grimace and turned away, muttering under his breath something about crazy Femmes and how could anyone spark mate with such an unkempt junker and things of that nature.

* * *

Skywarp had been in the med-bay for almost a joor and still there were no answers. He had tried to ignore the new presence in his spark, but it just wouldn't go away, so he finally broke down and brought the problem to Hook.

Hook had tried every scan he could think of (and some he had just thought of recently for experimentation purposes). No matter what he tried , however, nothing seemed to be wrong. At first Hook theorized that Skywarp had a spark virus (which could be fatal to a Seeker), but that avenue of exploration got them nowhere. Then Hook suggested that Skywarp might be creating and asked about his sexual history. That was a rather embarrassing line of questioning given the number of partners Skywarp had had over the course of his lifetime, but it ultimately led nowhere.

Finally, the tests were exhausted. Hook looked over the scans and the test results with detached curiosity. Skywarp wondered for a second if all medic's were this callous or if it was just Hook.

"I'm sorry, Skywarp," Hook said insincerely, "But there is nothing here to indicate you have a problem."

"But I have to be sick!" Skywarp protested, "There's no way I can have somebody else in my spark!"

"Are you sure?" Hook asked, "Perhaps it could be a relative, or a spark mate?"

"No!" Skywarp shouted angrily, "The only ones that mean anything to my spark are Thundercracker and Starscream! Wow...That's kinda depressing. That slag-head _Starscream_ is one of the most important mechs in the universe to me...I hate my life. Maybe I should've found a Femme back when they were still common…All I have is my trine…"

"Not that I don't relish in your pathos," Hook interjected, "But are you just pretending to be sick in order to get the day off?"

"No!" Skywarp snapped, "I've really got a problem here, doc! There's an intruder in my spark bond! Hey, do you think it could be one of Thundercracker's or Starscream's loved ones? Is that possible?"

"No, because those mechs don't mean anything to you," Hook replied dryly, "Now get out of my office. You are obviously still healthy. If you are having mental problems then I doubt it will effect your skills in battle, so there is no need for me to treat you for processor damage. Now get out."

Skywarp needed help, that much he knew, but he also knew he wasn't going to get it from Hook. He skulked away feeling scared and defeated. He didn't want to be alone. He didn't want to go back to his quarters, so he paid a visit to Thundercracker.

When he teleported into Thundercracker's room, the blue and grey mech was sitting at his desk filing papers detailing the energon shipments made to Cybertron. He also seemed to be working on an updated list of Autobot crew members.

"Hey, TC. I didn't know the Autobots had new recruits," Skywarp said as he looked at the data files on the desk.

"Yes, there are two," Thundercracker said distractedly as he typed in some codes for accessing the energon reports, "One has been clearly identified as a mech named Leodox, and the other one is unknown."

" _Leodox_!?" Skywarp practically choked on that name as he spoke, " _Leodox_ is here on earth? He's yellow with head-blades and sharp teeth, right?"

"Actually he is steel blue with head-blades and very few teeth remaining," replied Thundercracker, "Why, do you know this mech?"

"Yeah, I know him…" Skywarp replied bitterly, "I owe him my vengeance. I owe him a slow and painful death! That _Autobot_! That Autobot…"

Skywarp was shaking with rage at this point! His fists were clenched and he could barely form a sentence! Thundercracker had never seen his friend so undone before! He knew that this Autobot must have done something horrible to Skywarp for him to be this worked up over the mere mention of his name.

"Tell me when he's spotted next, Thundercracker!" Skywarp ordered, not caring that his friend outranked him, "I want him alive! I want to feel his fear as he sees me coming for him! I only wish I could take out his ancestors so that he may never be born, and his creations so that he may never be remembered!"

"That can be arranged," Thundercracker said with a wry smirk, "Well, part of it, at least. I have heard from Laserbeak that one of the Autobots is Leodox's creation."

"Which one?" Skywarp asked eagerly.

" _Bumblebee_."

* * *

Sunstreaker awoke from his recharge feeling great. He and Sideswipe were going to cruise downtown and check out the local clubs after their shift. The only thing that could make the day even more complete was a few Decepticons to thrash into the ground.

He stretched his joints to loosen himself up and strolled to the mirror to glance over his paint to make sure it was perfect. Sure enough, his beautiful gleaming gold reflection smiled back at him. Perfect!

As he strolled down to the rec room he could see that mechs in the hallways were snickering and trying to hold back laughter. He would have to ask Sideswipe if he pulled any great pranks recently.

Once he got to the rec room, there were even more mechs snickering and some even outright laughing! Now he had to know what was going on!

"Hey, what's so funny, guys?" Sunstreaker asked innocently.

That only made the laughter in the room erupt! Everyone was looking at him now, and soon Sunstreaker realized they were laughing at _him_!

" _Hey_! What's so slagging _funny_?" Sunstreaker demanded to know now, "Why is everyone laughing at me?"

Just then Sideswipe entered the room, and saw what had everyone else roaring with laughter. He tried not to laugh at his brother's _condition_ , but he had trouble keeping himself contained.

"Um, Sunny...ha ha ha...You really should...haha...Check out your...pfft...your back plating in a mirror!" Sideswipe said between giggle fits.

"Huh?" Sunstreaker was confused, but left the room to do what Sideswipe suggested.

He ran back to his room while trying to avoid the comments and snickers of his fellow Autobots. When he made it to the mirror and turned around, he was mortified by what he saw…

" _Aaahh_!" Sunstreaker screamed at the outrageous graffiti on his back.

There, written in earth's mud, in Cybertronian characters was the phrase WASH ME. It must have been on there for hours, as the mud had already dried! It looked like someone wrote it with their own servos! Finger-painted like a human sparkling's school drawing! Who could've done such a thing? Who wasn't afraid of getting beaten up by him for doing such a thing? Sunstreaker cursed every curse he could think of and swore to find whoever did this to him!

* * *

Leodox entered the room with a cube of energon and a data pad hoping for a nice quiet evening. He sat on the berth and sipped his energon contentedly. He had not had such plentiful energon since before the war. These humans were wonderful life forms, in his opinion, if they willingly gave his kind such flavorful energon.

Ophidelle came into the room still slightly wet from her shower. She had been in there for hours, and Leodox was a little concerned. Normally she wasn't so fastidious.

"Feeling better, my dear?" Leodox asked as he read over his data pad.

"Yes, my love," Ophidelle replied jovially, "There is still some mud under my nail-turrets but otherwise I am fine."

Leodox didn't know why there would be organic mud under her nails, but he knew from experience not to ask Ophidelle what she did while she was away from him. She rarely gave him straight answers anyway.

Ophidelle, meanwhile, sat in a chair with a data pad of her own. Her face was unreadable, but inside she smirked impishly.

 _Oh yes, Sunstreaker_ … Ophidelle thought victoriously. _You mess with one of us, you mess with_ all _of us…_


	8. Dropping The Bomb

_Author's Note: This chapter is a little longer than previous chapters in this story, but I don't think it's too long. My chapters always seem to get longer when I have an idea for an important plot point (unless it's an ending; those tend to be short). Anyway, I hope everyone likes this chapter. Please follow if you want to see where this goes and review if you feel like it. Enjoy the fic :)_

* * *

Chapter 8

Dropping The Bomb

 _90,000 vorns ago…_

 _This war was starting to take its toll on Cybertron. What had started as a few small-scale acts of rebellion had become city-leveling acts of terrorism! The Decepticons were gaining traction, and if nothing was done then Megatron would rule the world. Young cadet Leodox knew he had to do something._

 _The young infantryman was finally getting his chance under Commander Diva D. She was one of the few Femme commanders in the Autobot forces, and she must've felt the need to prove something because she worked her mechs like drones! Leodox was used to difficult personalities, though. He had worked with Ironhide for 20,000 vorns._

 _Most of the missions he went on were small. Rescue missions after the fighting was over was the most common type for him. Diva D commanded a lower ranking battalion with very limited skill sets, so they rarely if ever had to engage the enemy, and when they did it was usually cannon fodder like themselves._

 _Leodox hated to think of himself as cannon fodder, but he knew it was true. They all were simply there because of their lack of experience. The only thing Leodox had going for him was he was a Triple Changer, but both of his alt modes weren't very useful in combat. Still, he had survived, and more than that he had contributed to the Autobot cause. Saving lives and keeping order were well worth whatever he had to endure. Those Decepticons were going down!_

 _All these thoughts and more ran through his head as their ship landed at the death crystal mines of Malfa. This was Leodox's first high-stakes mission ever! The Decepticons were trying to steal death crystals to power a new super weapon, and if the Autobots didn't stop them then the entire planet could be doomed!_

 _Part of him wondered why his team had to be closest to the distress signal. They would be massacred! Still, part of him was excited to do some real damage to the Decepticons and make a real difference for his people._

 _"Alright mechs, listen up!" Diva D intoned harshly, "We don't have much time! If we want to stop the 'Cons, then we have to do it now! From what I hear, some of their best soldiers are in that cave! We'll be dealing with Sigma-ability mechs, Seekers, Gestalts, and who knows what else! No matter what happens in there, we cannot allow them to get away with even a single death crystal! To do so would be to surrender to Megatron and enslave our entire planet! Now_ move out _!"_

Typical Diva D... _Leodox couldn't help but think._ That Carrier Femme is all talk and no planning. We're gonna get killed in there…

 _Leodox didn't have time to think about it further as he and his comrades stormed the cave and readied themselves to fight with the Decepticons._

 _Once inside it was a maelstrom of panic, laser fire, and chaos! Decepticons fired on Autobots, and Autobots fired on Decepticons! Despite what Diva D had said, for the most part it was a pretty even fight. Unfortunately, an even fight meant heavy casualties on both sides. Leodox hid behind a boulder and fired whenever he saw a purple insignia nearby. He saw some of his friends dying as their bodies turned grey from energon deprivation or the extinguishing of their sparks! There was Ozone, Freezedry and Cycler right there near the mouth of the cave already dead…_

 _Leodox tried to tune it out, but he couldn't. These were his friends! Those Decepticon monsters were going to pay for this one!_

 _That was when he heard something he didn't expect…_

 _"Autobots, fall back!" Diva D commanded, "There are no more Decepticons! We've won! Fall back!"_

 _Leodox ran to comply with his commander's orders, but just as he was about to leave his hiding spot and rejoin his ship he tripped on a crystal and fell into a chasm!_

 _When he landed it hurt, but he somehow managed to stay conscious. He could hear the Autobot ship leaving! Leaving without him! It was a nightmare, and the worst part was about to make itself known…_

 _"Freeze, Autobot!" An unfamiliar voice barked from beyond the shadows of the chasm, "I have my weapon trained on you, and if you move, you die!"_

 _That was when a 'Con came out of the shadows from behind a boulder. Leodox had time to ponder how he had used the same behind-the-boulder technique as the new enemy sauntered closer to its prey…_

 _"Filthy 'Con!" Leodox spat as he quickly fired his cannon at the beast._

 _The once-slow-moving Decepticon dodged his attack like it was nothing, and spat at him! That filthy Decepticon actually_ spat _at him! The worst part was that it hurt! He looked down at his armor to see his right arm's armor had melted away, and his bare wires were exposed! What_ was _this thing?_

 _"Well," the 'Con lilted in a satisfied manner, "It looks like your team has left you. Alone. With me. And my face is going to be the last one you see before you die…"_

 _Then the Decepticon aimed a powerful plasma burst at his chest…_

* * *

Leodox awoke from recharge with a start! A memory! It was just a memory replay. He wasn't trapped in the cave...He was safe in Autobot Headquarters.

Leodox took in several filters of air to calm himself down. He had been thinking about that battle a lot lately. To most Autobots it was a minor skirmish; not even worth mentioning in the history books. To Leodox, however, that mission had changed his fate forever. As much as Leodox loved to talk about his career with the Autobots, he never mentioned this battle; not even to Bumblebee!

It was still mostly dark in their room. The only lights came from the crack in the door that led to the halls. Leodox looked down at the recharging form of his spark mate. Her beautifully carved face looked so peaceful in recharge. Leodox checked his internal chronometer. 5 days. They had been there for 5 days. Time was running out and soon the deadline would expire, and yet they had not told Bumblebee. They needed to talk to him today!

"Ophidelle, wake up my dear," Leodox said in a raspy voice; still adjusting from a recharge state, "It's o-four-hundred."

"Yes, my love," Ophidelle replied in a silken whisper, "What is planned for today? Is this when Bumblebee takes us dancing or when we see the drive-in theatre across town that was rebuilt recently?"

"Ophidelle, we need to tell Bumblebee," Leodox said without elaborating, but he didn't have to; Ophidelle understood.

"Yes Leodox," Ophidelle said without argument, though her voice held some pain, "Listen, we are not expected for a few hours...Do you want to interface?"

"Not the best foreplay you've ever given, but I'll take it," Leodox smiled a playful smile as he opened his spark chamber.

The two held each other's right hands as Ophidelle used her left to pry open her chest cavity. Leodox was grateful they would make love in the dark. The mark on the inside of her chest casing always sent a painful twinge to his spark. It was easier to ignore the pain and the uncertainty of their lives when they made love in the dark. The only thing he could see was her glowing spark and her bright green optics as the two connected and became one. It was not passionate interfacing. It was more of a comforting gesture than anything else.

* * *

Bumblebee had just got off duty monitoring Teletran I. Jazz sauntered in to relieve him of duty, and Bumblebee was glad to see him. Now that he was off he could spend some time with his parents and his friends.

"Hey, Bee," Jazz greeted him with a relaxed smile, "Howz it goin'?"

"Great. No signs of Decepticon activity," Bumblebee reported.

Just then Ophidelle came into the room. Bumblebee noted that she was alone, which was strange because both of his parents were supposed to meet him in the control room. Ophidelle's placid face turned its attention from Bumblebee to Jazz, and she started walking toward the black and white saboteur.

"Excuse me, but are you Jazz; Bumblebee's superior?" Ophidelle asked.

"Sho' am!" Jazz nodded easily, "And you must be his mother. Iz a pleasure to finally meet ya."

"Likewise," Ophidelle replied sincerely, "I have followed your career for many vorns. I know it sounds strange, but I have both admiration and professional respect for you. I know such a sensitive line of work is not easy; especially once your name gains notoriety."

"True dat," Jazz nodded, "Listen, I forgot ya name. I know it starts with an O. What was it again?"

"I am Ophidelle," Ophidelle replied without a trace of annoyance, "Jazz, I have heard that you are from Polyhex. I likewise come from Polyhex."

"Yeah, the mean streets sho' are pretty in the mornin' light," Jazz reminisced fondly, "Iz a shame what the 'Cons have done ta the place…"

"Yes, but look on the positive side," Ophidelle said amiably, "Some of the best spies and saboteurs on Cybertron come from Polyhex. You of all people should know this."

Ophidelle then extended her hand, and Jazz shook it. It was a human custom, but Ophidelle knew how much Jazz loved human culture and wanted to indulge him. Their conversation didn't seem like much, but Jazz could read between the lines of everything Ophidelle had just said to him.

"We should do this again sometime," Jazz said in a friendly manner.

"Yes, I would love to discuss your illustrious career and the beauty of Polyhex," _when Bumblebee is not around_ was the unspoken subtext.

"Sho' thing," Jazz replied knowingly, "See ya later, 'Delle."

Jazz then took his position on Teletran I and Ophidelle led Bumblebee away to the privacy of one of the supply rooms. Ophidelle had heard rumors about Jazz's cool and collected attitude, and she was not disappointed. The mech was perfectly controlled, yet managed to make everything he did seem natural to the point of seeming sloppy. Ophidelle knew better though. That friendly disarming act was exactly that: an act. Ophidelle had mastered the charming act well enough to know what it looked like. He was so much like her that it would've been weird if he _wasn't_ a spy. She wondered if his accent was real. Hers was, but she knew of many mechs that faked an accent to appear more non-threatening.

When Ophidelle and Bumblebee were alone he asked her "So, where's Father? We have a lot planned for today!"

"Your father is speaking to Optimus Prime about something important," Ophidelle replied vaguely, "He will be here in a few minutes."

"Why are we waiting in the medical supply closet?" Bumblebee asked; confused.

"It is a private place, and your father and I have something very important to discuss with you. Is anyone else coming with us?" Ophidelle suddenly asked.

"Just Spike," Bumblebee replied.

"You take that little human everywhere, don't you?" Ophidelle chuckled.

"Of course I do. He's my best friend," Bumblebee replied with a warm smile.

Just then, the door opened and Leodox came in carrying Spike in one of his servos; smiling as wide as all outdoors.

"Hey, look what I found!" Leodox said playfully as he held up Spike.

"Hey, Bumblebee," Spike waved from his perch on Leodox's hand.

"Leodox, don't bring him in here with us!" Ophidelle admonished, "We still need to speak to Bumblebee."

"It's alright, my dear," Leodox placated, "This'll be easier than Bumblebee trying to explain it to the boy later. You know they talk about everything. Might as well get this out in the open before rumors start spreading."

Ophidelle sighed but didn't protest. Spike was gently placed on the floor and Leodox walked closer to Ophidelle to put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Her optics seemed to grow dim with the contact; as if she wanted to feel it without seeing it. Leodox cleared his vocals of dust before saying what he had avoided saying since they got there.

"Bumblebee...You're a grown mech now, so I believe you can handle this without me having to energon-coat it," Leodox began ruefully, "Your mother and I didn't just come here because we missed you. We came here because there's something important we needed to tell you. Oh, Bumblebee! I never thought we would see you again, and to have to tell you this now...It's painful, son."

"Just get on with it, Leodox!" Ophidelle snapped impatiently.

Bumblebee flinched when he heard the bitter tone in his mother's voice! She never lost her temper like that, and certainly not to his father! He couldn't even recall a serious argument between the two from his younglinghood, but now she seemed ready to tear something's head off!

"Alright, dearest, alright…" Leodox replied; his voice sounding tired, "Bumblebee, your mother and I have decided to sever our sparks."

The silence that followed those words was suffocating. Bumblebee couldn't have heard that right! Sever their sparks? That couldn't be what he meant to say!

After no one said anything else, Spike finally ventured to ask "Um, excuse me, sir? What does sever your sparks mean?"

Bumblebee fielded the question. "Well Spike, I don't think you have an exact ritual like it on earth. I would say the closest thing you have to it is... _divorce_. I think that's how you say it."

"Your parents are getting a divorce?" Spike asked; concerned.

"Oh, it's much worse than that," Bumblebee replied morosely, "A human divorce is only a physical and emotional separation. When two Cybertronians spark bond they become a presence in each other's spark. They share energy with each other that the couple eventually becomes dependent on. The longer a couple is together, the harder their bodies take it if and when they sever. Severing a spark is something that is only done in cases of extreme discord. Some mechs don't survive being severed from a mate. If the lack of energy production doesn't kill them then the emotional turmoil of an empty spark will! It's even worse with mechs that have no other family, Gestalt, or trine bonds in their spark to ground them to reality."

"Son, you make it sound like we have a terminal illness," Leodox interjected, "Our severing is mutual. We both understand that there will be a period of adjustment, and we are prepared for it. What you need to remember is that this is nobody's fault and we both still love you."

Bumblebee couldn't believe what he was hearing! How could his parents even think about doing this? How could they be so out of love that they would risk illness or worse just to get away from each other? They were together for 7 _million years_! How could they just throw all that away?

"Why are you doing this?" Bumblebee asked quietly; unable to voice every thought at once and trying not to throw a tantrum like a sparkling.

"The reasons are not important right now," Ophidelle glossed over his question, "We do need to know something, though. Would you be comfortable with Leodox staying here to help with the Autobot's efforts?"

"Only Father?" Bumblebee caught himself saying, "What about you?"

"Your father is a brave Autobot warrior," Ophidelle insisted, "He would be a great asset to Optimus Prime. If you do not want him here though, then he can take the house in Iacon and I will move back to Polyhex."

" _Polyhex_!" Bumblebee shrieked in abject horror, "That is the heart of Decepticon territory! The only place worse is Kaon! Why would you move to _Polyhex_?"

"It is familiar," Ophidelle shrugged, "And the real estate is cheap. Nobody wants to live there, and it is a large city full of poverty stricken mechs that have disappeared from the radar. It is a perfect place to hide. Of course, if Leodox stays here then I will get the house in Iacon and stay in Autobot territory. It really does not matter to me. I can survive anywhere."

"Is that what you were talking to Optimus Prime about?" Bumblebee asked his father, "You asked him to join the Autobots here on earth?"

"No son. I asked if we could get separate quarters for the rest of our stay aboard the Ark," Leodox answered; all joviality gone from his face and tone.

" _Separate quarters_?" Bumblebee exclaimed, "You're serious? You two are really severing your spark bond? But _why_? Is it a communication issue? Does one of you not feel appreciated? Are you having problems in the berth room?"

" _Whoa_! _Hey_!" Ophidelle shouted, then in a calmer voice said "Now Bumblebee, good little mechs don't talk about such things with their creators."

"He's an adult, Ophidelle," Leodox grumbled, "He can ask any question he wants. To answer you son, no, none of those things are the problem. Right now none of that matters. All that matters is the time we spend together right now. Your mother and I will probably engage the severance tomorrow morning. We will leave the Ark next orn. We need to be severed before we get back."

"But why are you in such a hurry?" Bumblebee asked desperately, "At least try to work out whatever problem it is you are having! Please!"

"It cannot be worked out," Ophidelle said with finality, "We do not take this step lightly, but we _are_ taking it. Leodox and I were never right for each other, but we were both too stubborn to leave. Your father is a good mech. If he joins you here, I expect you to show him the same love and respect you showed him before this happened."

With that Ophidelle opened the supply closet door and left; unwilling to listen to the pleas of her son to stay. If she had to be the bad guy, if he had to blame her, then she didn't care. She understood that Bumblebee had to be angry at someone, and she wanted him to take his father's side. It would be easier that way.


	9. Dead or Alive?

_Author's Note: For this chapter I made it a bunch of short snippets to show how many things were going on at the same time. It's kind of a like a montage (without the cool music). Anyway, thank you all for supporting my latest fanfic. Hope everyone is having a great day :)_

* * *

Chapter 9

Dead or Alive?

Jazz hated to admit it to himself, but he had a weird hunch about Bumblebee's mother. He couldn't quite put his servo on it, but something about her just didn't add up. Her behavior was very calm and controlled, and she even seemed friendly. Still, a pretty smile and gentle voice didn't always equal innocence. Jazz knew that better than anybody.

He decided to start small with a scan of her records in Iacon. If she didn't have a criminal record or military history then his worries would likely be for nothing. No way did Jazz want to develop a reputation like Red Alert, so he wouldn't dig too deep if he didn't have to. He hoped he was wrong about her, however. That was Bumblebee's _mother_. If something was amiss Jazz didn't know how he would tell his favorite yellow scout.

It took several minutes for the search to complete. Fortunately Ophidelle was such an archaic name that it was unlikely any other transformer would have it. When the search came back, however, Jazz was floored!

No record of a Femme named Ophidelle living in Iacon for the past 300,000 vorns. She wasn't there!

Jazz slowly nodded to himself as he leaned back in his chair. He had a feeling she wouldn't report her whereabouts in Iacon. He would have to do a full sweeping search of Cybertron. This search would take several hours. He wondered if it was even worth it. Still, something was off about her. It almost seemed like she was trying to tell him something...Was she in trouble? Was she an Autobot spy come to help them? Was she a Decepticon in disguise? Jazz had to find out the truth!

* * *

Around that same time, Skywarp was flying over Autobot Headquarters on a mission of his own. Ever since he found out about Leodox, Skywarp had wanted nothing more than to rip the spark from that mech's chest and crush it in his fist! This time he would not let that monster get away from him! The spilled energon of Skywarp's family was on that Autobot's hands!

He didn't have a working knowledge of the Ark, but he knew the other side of the front door had a hallway, so he teleported just inside the door. He would have to navigate the rest of the ship without teleportation, however, since he didn't know where he was going and didn't want to end up inside a wall.

He tried to be as sneaky as possible as he searched for either Leodox or Bumblebee. He had two plans (both of which could change at a moment's notice). The first plan was to find Leodox, teleport him outside, and then slowly rip away at his vitals while he screamed in agony! Plan two was to find Bumblebee, take him back to the Nemesis, and record his execution for Leodox to view from the safety of the Ark.

He would have his revenge either way…

* * *

Ophidelle, meanwhile, did not feel like recharging for the night. Instead she decided to have some fun while she was awake. She found a phone and started dialing a random restaurant she found in the phone book.

"Hello, this is Pasquale's Pizzeria. How can I help you?" An Italian voice said on the other end of the phone.

"Yes sir, my name is Fire Blossom and I am a health inspector," Ophidelle intoned in her most official sounding voice, "I do not mean to bother you, but I have had several complaints about patrons finding parasites crawling around in their food. As well as the standard rodent droppings, of course."

Ophidelle smiled to herself as the man on the other end of the phone switched his voice from indignant to pleading every few seconds. She silently chuckled to herself as he switched from English to Italian and back again.

It had been so long since the Triple Changer had found time for fun and games. Between the war, her family, and her boss's constant demands of her time she found that childish pranks fell by the wayside. Getting even with Sunstreaker had awakened a yearning inside of her that she had completely forgotten about.

Ugh! Her _boss_! She just remembered that she was supposed to report half an orn ago! He was so punctual and so unforgiving! Sometimes she wished she could wipe that...whatever expression that was, right off of his...whatever he had.

 _Scrap_. Ophidelle thought dryly. _I've worked with that mech for over 50,000 vorns and I've only just now realized he doesn't have a face! And to think I was hired for my observation skills…_

Her so-called observation skills kicked into gear when she heard a loud crash in the hallway leading to Bumblebee's quarters! She could hear a mech hopping up and down on one pede (indicating he tripped on something and stubbed his other pede). She also heard the mech cursing in Cybertronian; his voice was very familiar.

 _Oh, joy_ … Ophidelle sighed as she thought. _I get to deal with this now! So much for Operation: Unity._

* * *

Jazz diverted as much power as he could to make the scans run faster. Why he felt this couldn't wait even _he_ wasn't sure, but Jazz had learned from experience to trust his gut feelings on matters.

Finally, after waiting for what felt like an eternity, the files for all known Ophidelles for the past 100,000 vorns was downloaded onto his computer.

Jazz looked at the (admittedly short) list for clues. There was one Ophidelle listed. He pulled up the files, and noticed all of them predates Bumblebee's birth by at least a million years. He noticed something else that made his energon run cold...A death certificate.

According to the report, a Decepticon named Lt. Ophidelle was caught in a firefight with an Autobot and engaged him in a one-on-one dogfight in the air. The Autobot shot her out of the sky, and she went down in flames! Jazz searched for details, and sure enough, this Ophidelle had been a Triple Changer with a Sigma ability. There was no picture of the deceased Femme, so Jazz didn't know if it was a case of a fake death or a stolen identity. Either way, Ophidelle the Decepticon had been reported dead 7 million years ago, and either way Bumblebee's mother was guilty of some kind of crime. It was either identity theft or war crimes.

He needed to know more, so he scanned a still image he had of her face and ran it through the system. If she was living with multiple aliases then this would be the best way to determine what she had been up to recently.

This scan didn't take as long (thank goodness), and Jazz soon found himself scanning old photographs, licenses, and intelligence reports for anything on Ophidelle. Most of the information was too old to be useful, but one news article from Megatron's Decepticon propaganda networks caught his optic…

SHOCKWAVE RECEIVES WORD FROM MEGATRON the headline read. That had been published a mere four years ago when the Autobots and Decepticons awoke on earth. Jazz scanned the picture to see why the computer felt the need to show this to him. It was a still photo of Shockwave standing on stage addressing a Decepticon fleet with two guards standing on either side of him.

That was when Jazz noticed it...The guards! One of the guards was a Femme with a hooded vent surrounding her head! It was Ophidelle! Jazz read the bottom of the photo to see what he could gather from it.

The fine print read ' _Shockwave stands with Street Stalker and Silver Tongue at the first meeting of Decepticon forces since the revival of Lord Megatron_ '.

"Street Stalker and Silver Tongue?" Jazz muttered out loud, "So she is using an alias...Aw, Pit! She's Silver Tongue!"

This wasn't just any Decepticon they were dealing with. Jazz knew the name Silver Tongue, though he had never met the spy in person before. This 'Con was known to be crafty, elusive, and extremely dangerous. The most common method for Silver Tongue to use to dispose of potential 'leaks' was by melting them with acid! A truly gruesome death for any mech. Jazz never realized that Silver Tongue was a Femme. Another dark thought also creeped into his processor in that moment…

"Poor Bee...His mother's a Decepticon…"

* * *

Skywarp hovered over the recharging body of Bumblebee; his black wings creating foreboding shadows over the berth of the peacefully recharging Minibot. It would be so easy to kill the sleeping mech right then and there, and yet he hesitated. He wondered if he should bother taking the yellow nuisance back to the base at all. Handing him over to be tortured wasn't quite the same as inflicting the blows himself. He wanted Leodox to feel the same thing he felt when that Autobot took his last surviving relative away from him!

Megatron often told his soldiers that forming attachments only made you weak. The Seeker normally agreed with everything his master said, but in this case he felt the warlord was wrong. His attachment to Thundercracker, his best friend, made them a better team. In just the same way, the sparkache of a broken attachment would give him the strength to bring an unholy fury upon the Autobots!

Skywarp could just picture what his baby sister must've looked like as that Leodox fired on her without hesitation and extinguished her spark! He imagined a pained contorted faceplate and fire surrounding her as she screamed in agony! Skywarp's creator died only a few short vorns after his sister was created. He practically raised the young Femme alone! Leodox would not know peace for the rest of his short lifespan! Skywarp would make sure of that!

These thoughts swirled through his head like the sweetest high grade energon as he approached the unsuspecting (and unconscious) form of Bumblebee. Just as he was about to grab the mech, however, a smooth lilting voice called out "Hello, Skywarp."

Skywarp whipped his head around so quickly his wings wobbled! No, that voice...It couldn't be! It wasn't!

It _was_! Skywarp was staring at an apparition! The harbingers of the Pit had come to take his spark from him, and they sent a representative they knew he couldn't refuse. This was it...He was either dying or dead.

" _Ophidelle_ …" Skywarp breathed the name as if saying it too loudly would cause the phantom Femme to lunge at him and take his spark, "Why...How…?"

"Can we talk about this outside?" Ophidelle requested in a drab voice that sounded very tired, "Bumblebee is sleeping."

Skywarp turned around to look at the Autobot like he'd never seen him. In his panic, Skywarp had completely forgotten about the Minibot.

Skywarp didn't know what to say, and as Ophidelle walked closer to him he instinctually backed away; still fearing it was a ghost. She slowly reached her hand out to him, and the throbbing in his spark grew stronger.

 _Oh, so that's what that was_ … Skywarp thought numbly as he stared at her with wide red optics. _My spark felt my baby sister._ Wait _, if my spark feels her, then she's really there! It's not an illusion or a Pit Spawn! It's really her!_

Without stopping to think or speak Skywarp fiercely grabbed Ophidelle and pulled her into a bear hug! Ophidelle didn't flinch when he grabbed her, and merely sighed when they began to teleport.


	10. Operation: Unity

_Author's Note: Wow, this chapter is twice the size of an average chapter in this story! I guess it makes sense though; I did cram an entire origin story into this chapter. Oh well, that just means more for you guys to read! Your support is why I write these, and I'm glad so many of you like my silly ideas :)_

* * *

Chapter 10

Operation: Unity

"You actually thought I was a _Pit Spawn_?" Ophidelle laughed loudly in the night, "You are seriously superstitious! There is no such thing as ghosts and Pit Spawn!"

"Well you try to explain me seeing someone who is supposed to be dead!" Skywarp retorted.

Skywarp and Ophidelle sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking the starry heavens. It was a place out in the desert where no one could see or hear them. It had been over 7 million years since either one of them had seen or spoken to each other, yet at the same time it felt like only yesterday; at least to Ophidelle. Skywarp had spent so long being angry at her murderer that he didn't know how to process that his little sister was alive and sitting right next to him.

"So, how is your trine?" Ophidelle asked to cancel out the silence that was about to envelope them.

"Great!" Skywarp perked up at the mention of his trine, "Did you hear about 'Screamer getting promoted? He's second in command of the entire Decepticon fleet if you can believe that!"

"Yes, I have heard," Ophidelle smiled and patted his hand fondly, "Information is my business these days, after all. If anything happens within the command ranks of the Decepticons or even the Autobots, then I know about it. I also have several files of 'intellectual currency' if you need anything…"

Ophidelle wasn't a spy when Skywarp knew her, but even he knew what she meant by _intellectual currency_. That was her coy term for blackmail material. Every time she needed a favor from someone she would peruse her files to see if she had any secrets her target would want her to destroy for them. She only used each bit of information once. Shockwave thought it was illogical, but in her mind it was a perverse sense of honor that dictated her actions.

"No, I'm good," Skywarp refused her offer, "Say, have you ever met Thundercracker or Starscream?"

"No, I have not, but you spoke of Thundercracker often when you texted me," replied Ophidelle, "I still cannot believe that my own brother is working directly under Megatron! That is so incredible!"

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Skywarp replied wistfully, "It's everything I've ever dreamed of. Sometimes I wish I could be the SIC instead of Starscream, though. He doesn't appreciate what he has. He always wants more. It'll never happen though. I'm the lowest ranking member of my trine. I'm only there because of Starscream and my ability to teleport…"

"Yes, I remember when we were young and you figured out you could teleport into the Femme's shower room at the Kaon Military Academy!" Ophidelle laughed at the memory, "Did you ever get caught?"

"Yeah…" Skywarp replied sullenly, "I used to have a scar on my right arm from that incident, but then I got the whole arm blown off and it had to be replaced."

"An Autobot shot your _arm off?_ " Ophidelle asked; horrified.

"No, Dirge did after he figured out I was the one lacing his energon with hallucination oils…" Skywarp sheepishly admitted.

Ophidelle laughed again and leaned back to rest her back against the ground; her legs still dangling off the cliff. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this much. She didn't realize until then how much she had missed Skywarp. It was the same way with Bumblebee. Why were there so many pieces of Ophidelle's life that were missing? Now, Leodox would be the last piece to crumble…

"Ophidelle…" Skywarp's voice sounded uncharacteristically serious, "...Where were you all this time? I heard that you were killed in battle by an Autobot. They said you were burned all over and that they didn't even recover you for spare parts due to the horrible condition of your frame...How are you still here?"

Ophidelle knew this question was coming. She knew she would have to tell him, but it was so difficult to talk about. Where did she begin? Would he understand? Would he believe she was a traitor and kill her? She took in a deep intake of air and steeled herself for what was coming. No matter what, she wasn't going to lie to Skywarp after all these years.

"Alright Skywarp...I believe it is time I told you about the events leading up to Operation: Unity," Ophidelle finally said.

"What's Operation: Unity?" Skywarp asked.

"I will tell you, but first I must set the scene," Ophidelle replied patiently.

So with those words she began to divulge the series of events that led her to where she was now. She only hoped he would understand…

* * *

 _The Death Crystal Mines_

 _90,000 Vorns Ago…_

There were bodies everywhere! The Decepticons were outnumbered and outmatched with all of these slagging Autobot forces! Ophidelle found herself hiding down in a chasm waiting for any Autobot stupid enough to try to attack her. She knew it was pointless, however. The other Decepticons were either dead or had abandoned their post. She was the only combatant left, but if she could gather a few death crystals for Megatron's new weapon then this mission would be worth it!

She heard a mech falling into a chasm and landing a few mechano-meters away from her position! She hid behind a boulder to get a better look at her prey. It was an Autobot! She also heard something else...Engines! The Autobot ship was leaving! This was perfect! She would have the final kill and then be able to get death crystals for the Decepticon's newest super weapon!

"Freeze, Autobot!" Ophidelle shouted as she aimed her plasma staff right at his face, "I have my weapon trained on you, and if you move you die!"

The Autobot got up and gave her such a fierce look that for a moment her spark felt a certain admiration for the brave fool as he faced her down. She walked slowly toward her prey. She was toying with him, and she wanted him to know it.

"Filthy 'Con!" The Autobot snapped at her as he aimed his cannon and fired.

Ophidelle quickly bolted out of the way! Even on the ground she was one of the quickest in her unit.

 _So, that's how you want to play it, Autobot?_ Ophidelle thought as she geared up for the offensive. _Alright then...It's your funeral…_

Ophidelle ran closer to the mech until she was mere inches away from his chassis and then she sprayed him with her corrosive acid! The Autobot let out a roar of pain as he fell to the ground! Ophidelle thought this battle was too easy.

"Well," Ophidelle lilted in a satisfied voice, "It looks like your team has left you. Alone. With me. And my face is going to be the last one you see before you die…"

Psychological warfare was just insurance at this point. If the Autobot _felt_ defeated, then he _was_ defeated. Ophidelle aimed her plasma staff at his face and fired, but he bolted out of the way just in time! The Autobot then broke off one of the blades that had been protruding from his head and tried to stab Ophidelle with it! She backed away and nearly tripped on a crystal deposit as she scurried to avoid the makeshift dagger! She fired her nail-turrets at the wound in his arm, but she missed! Why was her aim so bad when she needed it most?

The next few hours was a series of punches, kicks, shots, and blade running! They fought until neither one of them could fight anymore. Both robots were running out of energon reserves in their bodies, and eventually they both had to stop.

The Autobot and Decepticon sat side by side heaving in large intakes of air to try to keep their systems cool.

"This is all your fault, Autobot!" Ophidelle said in a breathy exhausted voice, "If you had just held still I would have enough energy to escape the chasm! Now we are both going to die!"

"No we're not," the Autobot insisted, "There has to be a way to...I know how to make energon from crystal deposits like these, but I don't have a conductor. If there's no way to make the crystals react to atomic stimulation, then there's no way to convert them to energon."

This mech sounded insane! He could barely stand yet he was talking about making energon out of rocks! Under most circumstances Ophidelle would have simply mocked him, but she didn't even have the energy for that.

"Wait!" Ophidelle suddenly exclaimed, "Is your cannon still functional?"

"Yes," the Autobot replied, "It's not a part of my body, so it doesn't feed off my energy reserves."

"Good!" Ophidelle smiled, "Will the energy from the cannon be enough to trigger the reaction in the crystals?"

"No…" The Autobot groaned, "The crystals have to be heated to 3,000 degrees kelvin before the molecules will react properly. My cannon isn't hot enough…"

"My acid is," Ophidelle offered, "I will help you make your energon, but you have to share with me!"

"Will you attack me after you're energized?" The Autobot asked suspiciously.

"Yes. I will attack you, and you will attack me," Ophidelle nodded resolutely, "We will resume the fight as if this little diversion never happened."

"I'll say this much," the Autobot sighed, "You're honest about your intentions. That's a rare quality in a 'Con."

"Just shut up and get the crystals, Autobot!" Ophidelle snapped wearily.

After they made the energon (which tasted like scrap, by the way) they resumed their fighting as if they had never stopped. This went on for almost a solar cycle before they had to stop and make more energon again. Again and again this continued. They were in the cave for five orns fighting each other, stopping, and making energon. The Triple Changers were evenly matched.

In between their fights they would have to stop and sit. During that time they talked to one another. At first it was just insults and threats, but then eventually it was normal conversations. They had even learned each other's designations: Ophidelle and Leodox.

"So, um, Leodox…" Ophidelle began while they waited for the energon to finish boiling, "...We have been at this for quite some time, yet neither of us has changed into our alt modes. What is your alt mode?"

"I have two," Leodox replied, haggard, as he waited for the energon, "A road vehicle and a tugboat."

"A _tugboat_?" Ophidelle asked incredulously, "Wow, when they were handing out alt modes you must've been out purging your fuel tanks! When are you ever going to need to use a tugboat alt mode? I can just hear it now: Oh thank heavens, here comes the _tugboat_! Or maybe: Hey guys! This looks like a job for the tugboat!"

Ophidelle was laughing wickedly by now, and Leodox looked equal parts offended and confused. He had been insulted before, but never for something as trivial as his alt mode. This Femme seemed to have a real chip on her shoulder about that for some reason.

"So? What's your alt mode, Deceptiscum?" Leodox asked derisively.

"My land mode is a hoodless ground vehicle and my air form is a mach 4 jet," she replied proudly.

"Hoodless, huh?" Leodox asked as a devious smirk crossed his glossa, "I should've known you'd want an alt mode with _easy access_."

Ophidelle picked up the double entendre right away, and kicked away the energon cube; spilling its contents on the ground!

"Hey, we needed that!" Leodox complained.

"No, we don't," Ophidelle replied bitterly, "We're never getting out. Our teams have forgotten us here, and we will die! I will at least have the pleasure of taking you with me, you lecherous Autobot! Now if there is a Pit I can find my creator and tell him I did everything he wanted me to do! I stabbed every back that turned itself to me and I fought for an army that never cared about my life! And you know what? You did the exact same thing! So I hope if there is more than this, and I doubt it, that you will be able to look your dead loved ones in the face and say you killed as many 'Cons as you could find! Tell them of the war machine you became, and I will do the same!"

Ophidelle fell over after her tirade; too tired to remain standing. Leodox took in more air and tried to think about the situation logically. It was true, they were trapped, but there had to be something they missed. Then finally, as if out of the blue, he realized something…

"I am such an _idiot_!" Leodox exclaimed as he slapped his forehead with his palm, "I know how we can get out of the cave!"

"Hm?" Ophidelle answered weakly; barely able to stay online.

"Don't offline!" Leodox demanded, "I'll make more energon, and you need to drink it all! Do you understand? I need you awake!"

"Uh...Why?" Ophidelle whispered weakly.

"Because you can turn into a jet, but you're going to need fuel," Leodox explained, "If you transform into your air mode, then you can fly us both out of here!"

"Or I could fly myself out of here and leave you to die," Ophidelle pointed out.

"I know…" Leodox replied glumly, "But we're out of options, and you're my last hope. I just hope I don't regret this…"

Leodox gave the fading Decepticon a full cube of energon. It had taken the rest of Ophidelle's strength to produce the acid needed to make it. Even with that the new concoction was much weaker than their previous batches due to the near-solid consistency. Leodox held it to her glossa and gently fed her the glowing blue goop. She seemed stronger within a matter of seconds.

Once her strength was back to normal, she violently pushed Leodox out of her way and stormed over to a clearing to transform! She was a beautiful dusty pink and pastel green tetra jet. At a distance she looked like a Seeker.

She revved her engines and flew up to the opening above the chasm! Leodox watched and felt betrayed but not surprised that she had left him. He sat back down on the ground and contemplated his fate. He was done for.

He didn't have long to think that though, as a few astro seconds later the jet came back down for a landing; its engines still roaring!

"Hey stupid! You forgot to get in!" Ophidelle yelled over her own engine's noise, "If you don't climb into my 'easy access' in 5 astro seconds I'm leaving without you!"

That was all the invitation Leodox needed! He ran into the open cockpit of the awaiting Triple Changer and felt the tug of safety belts clamping down around his chassis. The straps hurt his open wound, but he didn't even care! They were going to be free! Wait, _were_ they going to be free?

"Say, um, Ophidelle? You're not taking me prisoner, are you?" Leodox asked warily.

"Don't be foolish!" Ophidelle snapped, though her tone betrayed amusement, "You are not valuable enough to be a prisoner. Unless, of course, Megatron needs a new lion-plate rug!"

With that they were barreling out of the chasm and through the depths of the cave! It was actually kind of beautiful once Leodox could see it without combat going on. The green crystals glittered in the light despite _being_ the actual light source of the cave. It was strange to think of so much carnage happening here. It seemed like such a peaceful place now…

Leodox was knocked out of his thoughts by a screeching metallic noise all around him! Ophidelle's wings had caught on the mouth of the cave, and she had been going at full speed! Her wings nearly ripped right off of her as she skidded to a halt just outside the cave! Leodox jumped out, and Ophidelle transformed back into root mode before passing out.

Leodox took stock of the damage. She was losing a lot of energon, and she had offlined from the trauma. Why hadn't she stopped?

Leodox also saw something else just to the right of the cave...The Decepticon's ship! Apparently Ophidelle really was the last survivor of the attack from the Decepticon's side! Leodox carefully lifted her body and ran for the empty vessel ahead of him! If he was going to stabilize her wounds then he would need their medical tools! He would also be able to use this ship to get back to civilization!

* * *

Ophidelle awoke to massive pain in her sides and her helm. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was flying out of the cave with that yellow Autobot. She felt the berth beneath her...It was too small for her, but not by much. Figuring she needed to get her bearings, she onlined her optics.

What _was_ this place? It wasn't the dark brown of the caves, or even the purple walls of her ship. The walls were a light grey steel and seemed to have many holo-photos of mechs she had never seen before! It couldn't be a brig. There was furniture! Why was there furniture? _Where was she_!?

"Oh good, you're online," she heard a familiar raspy voice say.

"Leodox…" Ophidelle croaked, "Where…?"

"You're in my quarters in the 43rd division of the Iacon Autobot Reserves," Leodox rattled off as he poured a cube of energon, "You should drink this. It'll taste a lot better than the slag we had to put up with in the death crystal mines."

Ophidelle's processor raced with questions, but she didn't press him. She was too tired and in too much pain to say much. She only hoped this didn't mean she was his prisoner. She knew what happened to Femmes that were taken captive…

"Listen, Ophidelle…" Leodox paused to make sure he had her attention before he continued, "I gave my commander the ship. I had to. We'll probably be able to reverse engineer some of those weapons. I didn't tell anyone about you, though. I snuck you in. You'd better slink away when you're well enough to move again."

"Why would you do this for me?" Ophidelle asked suspiciously, "It seems illogical. You have your enemy at your mercy, so why show leniency toward me?"

"Because you would do the same for me," Leodox smiled as he said those words, "You proved that when you came back for me. I like you, Ophidelle. You might be a filthy 'Con, but you're also my equal on the battlefield and you seem to have a good spark. I don't know why you stay with the 'Cons. I guess it's none of my business. Before I met you I thought all Decepticons were pure evil, but I don't think you are, so I'm gonna let you go. Don't get caught, though. I don't feel like being tried for treason. So, do you need anything?"

"No, I am fine," Ophidelle replied hesitantly; still processing the new information.

If she were honest with herself, Ophidelle always thought all Autobots were pure evil as well. She had been sparked from birth to fight Autobots. She was alive because she was an efficient soldier. Still, her one act of kindness, not her battle skills, had been what saved her life This orn. She had also believed Autobots to be weak strutless cowards. Leodox risked his freedom and his life to protect her in his own base. That was true bravery. This Autobot acted honorably toward her, and for some reason she felt the need to see him again.

"42.07-553," Ophidelle said suddenly when Leodox was in her line of sight again.

"What?" Leodox asked dumbly.

"42.07-553," Ophidelle said slowly this time, "It is my personal comm code. I want you store it in your list of contacts. I also want your code so that I may contact you."

"Why?" Leodox asked, more than a little suspicious.

"Because...You are…" Ophidelle nearly choked on these words, but still feel the need to say them, "...My friend."

"Always the forthright one, aren't you?" Leodox asked playfully.

He sent her a transmission of his code, and she comm'ed back to make sure they each had the correct numbers. With that exchange of information a weird friendship was born between Autobot and Decepticon.

* * *

 _3 Vorn Later_ …

Leodox and Ophidelle had a dangerous yet exciting romance. They would often sneak away to meet each other when the war allowed for quiet moments. They told no one about this intriguing relationship for fear of one or both of them being tried for treason, but they also knew that they couldn't let this go. It was a strange thought for both of them, but it was clear they were made for each other.

Leodox was playful, charming, and brave. His kind blue optics and shimmering blade mane made Ophidelle's spark weak, and Leodox felt the same way when he saw her sexy strut every time she sauntered his way.

Still, what each of them wanted was to be spark bonded to one another. Ophidelle, for all of her vices, carefully guarded her spark and didn't believe in interfacing with a mech she wouldn't bond with. Leodox wanted a spark mate as well. He wanted a future, creations, and a home. He had dreams, and Ophidelle felt guilty for forcing him to put those dreams on hold for the sake of a scandalous enemy romance. She knew their relationship wasn't going anywhere, and they needed to do something about that.

That night they met at an industrial park; the smoke wafting from the towers as they sat in peaceful contemplation on a bench. Ophidelle grabbed Leodox's hand, and he leaned closer into her. Finally, she knew that if they were going to have a future together, then she needed to know where they stood.

"Leodox," Ophidelle said quietly, "You are a skilled fighter...The Autobots are lucky to have you."

"Thank you Ophidelle," Leodox nodded as he watched the red skies clouding with industrial smoke from all sides.

"How long do you think their luck will last?" Ophidelle asked tactfully.

"What are you asking?" Leodox inquired; sensing the unasked question between them.

"Would you ever consider becoming a Decepticon?" Ophidelle asked point-blank.

"I thought we agreed not to talk about our factions when we were together," Leodox reminded her.

"This is important, Leodox," Ophidelle insisted, "Will you join the Decepticons for me? Is the idea even worth your consideration?"

"No, Ophidelle. It's not," Leodox replied; his tone suddenly ice cold, "Why? Would you ever join the Autobots?"

"No, I would not," Ophidelle admitted sullenly, "I was born a Decepticon, and I am to die a Decepticon. I will never understand why you support a group that preaches freedom yet still condones slavery. You are working for the puppets of a council long dead. Technically, the Autobots shouldn't even still be around. There is no reason for your people to fight Megatron. He is our best chance for stability."

"Now you see, that's the problem right there," Leodox pointed a servo at her as he spoke, "Because I believe the Prime is the best hope for a stable future for Cybertron. This is why we don't talk about this. We will never agree, so we might as well put it aside so we can focus on other things that matter to us."

"Yes, other things…" Ophidelle knew that neither of them would budge an inch on their factions, but she wasn't willing to give up on Leodox just yet, "...Leodox, I have been planning a way to bring us closer together, but I must know...If I give you a way to spark bond with me without being labeled a traitor, will you take that chance? Do you actually want me, Leodox?"

"Of course I want you, my dear!" Leodox replied vehemently, "What do you have in mind?"

"I call it Operation: Unity," Ophidelle replied conspiratorially.

Leodox noticed a sudden shift in Ophidelle's mood then. Where just a moment ago she had been pensive and worried, now she was businesslike and calculated. She was in strategy mode, and hopefully she had an idea that would give them the life they had been dreaming of since becoming a couple.

* * *

 _Present Day_ …

"...The plan was simple but effective," Ophidelle concluded her story, "I pretend to try to steal something valuable from the Autobots, and Leodox comes in and fakes a fight with me. I even let him shoot me down while he was in tugboat form! I ignited some of my acid to give the appearance of going down in flames. I did over-calculate the trajectory and wind up with real injuries, but that only made our charade more convincing. So, now you know the truth Skywarp. Leodox didn't kill me...He bonded with me."

Skywarp didn't know what to think. His sister was married to an Autobot! Leodox had inserted himself into her bare spark! The thought made him want to rip the Autobot's face right off his helm! On the other servo, Ophidelle continued her espionage activities on the Decepticon's behalf, so at least she was no traitor. The question he couldn't help but ask was…

"So did he ever join us?" Skywarp asked, "Is Leodox a spy, too?"

"No," Ophidelle shrugged, "He guards Iacon. We have one creation. Bumblebee. He is currently 5 million earth years old."

"How'd you get a Minibot from two Triple Changers?" Skywarp asked skeptically.

"You can thank Father for that one," Ophidelle replied wryly, "He had the coding for every mech known to Cybertron. Why do you think he used the Vector Sigma? This way he could get whatever he wanted."

"So why are you here...On earth, I mean?" Skywarp asked; not sure he wanted to know the answer.

"Leodox and I are here to sever our spark," Ophidelle replied matter-of-factly, "That reminds me, could I contact Leodox to meet us here? We still need to go through with the ritual. I also need to exchange severance packages with him and determine who gets to keep the house back on Iacon."

"So, what name do you go by in Iacon?" Skywarp asked mischievously.

"Officially?" Ophidelle asked, "Rose Water is the name on the house."

" _Really_? How many more aliases do you have?" Skywarp asked as he smirked at her.

"Several," Ohpidelle replied vaguely, "Please, when Leodox gets here...don't kill him. Bumblebee still needs a father."

Her voice didn't sound overly desperate, in fact she sounded worn out, but Skywarp knew that even saying those words was difficult for her. She was giving him the keys to her weakness and trusting him to not use it against her. He figured he probably wouldn't...So long as she stayed in line.


	11. The Severance Package

_Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for reading this far. Please remember to follow, favorite, and/or review :)_

* * *

Chapter 11

The Severance Package

Optimus rubbed the bridge of his face mask. Jazz's report about Ophidelle's true identity had sent the Autobot high command a real curve ball. Optimus was in a meeting with Jazz, Prowl, Ironhide, and Red Alert. He had wanted Ratchet involved as well, but the medic was still repairing Wheeljack after his latest _breakthrough_ had literally blown up in his face.

"Do you believe she is here to gather information for the Decepticons?" Optimus asked Jazz outright.

"Of course she is!" Red Alert cut in, "Why else would she be here? You don't really buy that slag about her being Bumblebee's mother, do you? She probably killed the real Femme that gave Bumblebee life and processor-washed Leodox into believing she was his real spark mate!"

"Tha's crazy," Jazz countered, "I'll admit I think she might be up to somethin', but I don't think she's an imposter. Why impersonate a Decepticon? We know that the Femme Ophidelle was definitely a Decepticon warrior before bein' declared dead. Like it or not, Bee's creator is a 'Con."

"We have to arrest her!" Ironhide declared as his fist hit the table, "There's no choice. We have to at least be able to question her without threat of escape."

"It is not Ophidelle that concerns me," Prowl said after a long silence.

Everyone turned to look at the Autobot SIC. Prowl had not contributed to the meeting since it began; instead choosing to weigh the words of his comrades against the known facts. When he did speak, it was about a problem everyone had forgotten about.

"I am more concerned about the loyalties of Leodox," Prowl clarified, "He is the spark mate of Ophidelle. This means one of two things: either Ophidelle had abandoned the Decepticons, or Leodox is a double agent. I highly doubt the former since Silver Tongue has been reported as an active saboteur as late as 6 earth months ago. They may be using their connections to Bumblebee to gather intelligence on our current situation. They may even be answering to Megatron. It would not be a stretch given the circumstances."

"Using their own kid as a pawn…" Ironhide spat in disgust, "I don't know...I just can't see Leodox doing something that sparkless. I worked with him, and he was always a firm believer in our cause. He'd never join the 'Cons!"

"Maybe he don't know," Jazz suggested, "Silver Tongue's a spy. Keepin' things from people is her job. She probably lied to him about her true identity and he's still livin' in blissful ignorance."

"Who else knows about this?" Optimus asked Jazz.

"Just us, boss 'bot," Jazz assured him, "I haven't even told Bee. Didn't wanna hurt the poor little guy until we were sure about what I found."

"We will need to detain her quietly," Optimus decided, "It pains me to do this, but she is a security risk. Go to their quarters now, and bring them both to separate interrogation rooms. Make sure you don't make them nervous unnecessarily. We still don't know Leodox's involvement, and he could very well be innocent. Jazz, you will question Ophidelle, and I will have Smokescreen question Leodox. You will need to debrief Smokescreen first."

"I'm on it, Prime," Jazz replied as he stood to leave.

With that Optimus dismissed the team. He only hoped he was making the right decision. Having a spy was a big enough problem, but a spy that was so close to one of his team members was almost too much for him to process. Still, he had to consider the safety of his crew before all else. If even half of what Jazz uncovered was true, then Ophidelle could become a real threat to the Autobots…

* * *

Meanwhile, Leodox recharged fitfully. His dreams were filled with bad memories and nightmares. He even dreamed at one point that all of Cybertron melted! He awoke suddenly from his dreams to a static noise going off in his head!

He looked around frantically as his optics quickly onlined. Ophidelle wasn't there! It was beyond weird. She was always the first to berth and the last to wake. Leodox had got into the habit of waiting for her to fall asleep first early in their marriage. He was afraid back then that she would kill him in his recharge. Now it was just an old habit he couldn't break.

The noise buzzed again, and now that he was awake he realized that it was a comm signal. He checked the I.D. of the signal...sure enough, it was Ophidelle.

"What now?" Leodox muttered to himself.

/This is Leodox./ He said over the comm, /What is it, my dear?/

/I am outside the Autobot base./ Ophidelle replied without preamble. /I need you to come outside. I believe it is time we exchanged our severance packages./

/Why can't you come back in here?/ Leodox asked; slightly annoyed.

/Because I am leaving, my love./ Ophidelle replied solemnly. /My brother Skywarp is here and he has agreed to take me somewhere safe. Well, safe-ish./

/I shouldn't ask, should I?/ Leodox deadpanned.

/It would be better if you didn't./ Ophidelle confirmed. /Follow my spark bond, Leodox. You will find me close by. Ophidelle out./

Leodox stretched his aching joints and smacked his jaw plates into place as he tried to come fully online. He couldn't believe she was asking him to leave the base in the middle of the night! They could sever tomorrow! He just wanted to sleep!

Then another thought suddenly entered his processor. What had she said before she hung up? Oh, right, Skywarp would be there.

Wait... _Skywarp_!?

"Aw scrap!" Leodox cursed softly as he walked down the halls out of the base, "I'm walking into a Decepticon trap, aren't I?"

Leodox had never met Ophidelle's brother in person, but he wasn't stupid. Skywarp was infamous on Cybertron for his cruelty and the sociopathic glee he felt when he killed Autobots in battle...or not in battle...or not Autobots. Yeah, not a Seeker the Triple Changer was looking forward to meeting. Could Ophidelle really protect him from that psycho?

He felt like a fool for leaving the Ark alone at night. Still, this might be the last time he ever saw the only Femme he ever loved. He wasn't going to waste this last chance to hold her close and feel her spark's presence in his own. She had been a part of him for 7 million years! Why did it have to end so suddenly?

* * *

"They're _what_?" Ironhide asked crossly.

"Gone," Jazz replied flatly, "Nobody's in that room, 'Hide. I also checked the common rooms and Teletran I. Nothin'. I don't know where they went."

Just as they were talking, a small yellow mech came stumbling down the halls. Jazz felt a hitch in his spark as he saw Bumblebee making his way to his parent's now-vacant quarters. Jazz knew sometimes Bumblebee had trouble recharging at night, but oh how he wished tonight hadn't been one of those nights…

"Mother? Father?" Bumblebee gently asked as he stared at the empty berth.

Jazz walked closer and hoped he said the right thing. He couldn't tell Bumblebee about his mother's _connections_ , but he hoped to at least his presence would be a help to Bee with whatever was keeping him online.

"Jazz? Did Prime already assign my parents separate quarters?" Bumblebee asked when he saw Jazz.

 _Separate quarters_? Jazz thought. _Does he already know about the interrogation?_

"Wha'cha talkin' about Bee?" Jazz asked; careful to sound casual.

"My father asked for separate quarters…" Bumblebee replied somberly, "My creators have decided to...I don't know if I should say just yet."

"Is alright Bee, I'm here for ya," Jazz put a hand on the young Autobot's shoulder in an effort to console him; though he still didn't know what the problem was.

"I'm sorry if I sound disjointed," Bumblebee replied, "It's just so painful. I have always counted on...I mean, when I was younger I always counted on...My creators are going to sever their sparks. Soon."

 _Sever_? Jazz thought. _Well, there's an interestin' development..._

Out loud Jazz said "Well, you can talk to them about it in the mornin'. Just get some recharge. You'll feel better then."

Bumblebee nodded and turned around to go back to his own room. Jazz felt bad for the little volkswagen. When Ophidelle's affiliation finally became common knowledge, how would Bumblebee take it? Did he ever suspect? It sure didn't seem like he did. Jazz sighed and went about his task of trying to locate the bonded pair somewhere on the ship.

* * *

Leodox drove up the cliff in his truck form. He could've used his helicopter mode to get there faster, but if Skywarp was there then he didn't want to get into an air fight with one of the Decepticon elite. Still, with all this dirt and dust it wasn't exactly easy riding.

When he made it to the edge he saw Ophidelle sitting on the edge of the cliff, but he didn't see Skywarp. Leodox didn't know whether that was a good sign or a bad one. He drove up to her despite his misgivings and transformed back into root mode beside her.

"Hello, my love," Ophidelle greeted him calmly without taking her optics off the stars in the sky, "Did you bring your severance package?"

"I did," Leodox replied in a clipped formal voice, "Did you bring yours?"

"I did," Ophidelle copied his tone without mocking him, "Shall we begin the severing ritual?"

"Where's your brother?" Leodox asked suspiciously.

"He is watching us," Ophidelle replied vaguely, "He did not want to reveal himself. I suppose he still doesn't want to meet you. Some mechs can be so stubborn."

"He's going to watch us sever?" Leodox asked with a hint of disgust in his tone, "This is kind of private. I'm not sure I want an audience."

"I doubt he will look," Ophidelle assured him, "For all of Skywarp's big talk he's actually kind of a prude when it comes to his baby sister. I doubt he wants to see me without my chassis."

Leodox couldn't see her very well, but he could hear the chuckle in her voice. That was strangely comforting to him. They could pretend this was just another starry night and not the end to their hallowed spark bond. He didn't really want to do this, but he was the one who suggested it. There was no going back now.

Leodox opened his chassis, and then his spark chamber. Ophidelle did the same. It felt so habitual, yet so embarrassing. They had never done anything like this outside before. He still didn't know why they couldn't do this in the Ark. Wherever she was going, Ophidelle clearly didn't want to waste time.

"Begin the procedure," Ophidelle ordered in a soft voice.

Leodox then took a long white metallic prod out of his subspace. This was a tool for annulling a spark bond among new couples that changed their minds. Most mechs would never dream of severing an older bond, and Leodox was starting to have doubts.

"Ophidelle...Whatever happens, I just want you to know that these have been the best vorns of my life," Leodox whispered as he brought the prod closer to her spark.

"It is difficult for me to picture my life before you," Ophidelle admitted, "⅞ of my life has been spent with you. We built a life together, raised a son together, and kept our dignity through it all. Still...You are an Autobot, and I am a Decepticon. In this day and age, that is unforgivable. Sever the spark bond, Leodox."

He sighed deeply and tried to steel himself for the pain to come. Leodox carefully held the prod over Ophidelle's spark, and Ophidelle reached out to his spark with hers. Then, suddenly there were two bright flashes from their sparks and a loud popping sound! Ophidelle and Leodox writhed in pain! Leodox roared, and Ophidelle screamed! This was enough to get Skywarp's attention! He teleported down to see what happened; ignoring the fact that his sister's spark was exposed. He rushed over to her and clamped down her chassis as quickly as he could; hoping that would stop whatever it was that was hurting her!

Leodox huffed for breath when it was over, and Ophidelle lolled her head back to look up at Skywarp. _He never was very good at hiding his emotion_ s, she thought as she saw the panic written all over his faceplate.

"Ophidelle!" Skywarp shouted even though she was right there, "Are you alright? What did that slagging Autobot do to you?"

"It is alright, Skywarp…" Ophidelle weakly replied, "Severing a spark bond is painful. He did not do anything to me that we did not agree to."

"I kind of prefer the concept of human divorce," Leodox joked, "All you have to deal with there is paperwork."

It took a few minutes for Leodox and Ophidelle to get their bearings. Skywarp had his optics and his weapons trained on Leodox at all times. He wasn't about to let the Autobot pull another fast one on his sister!

"Alright then," Ophidelle said after a few minutes of silence, "Leodox, now that we are no longer one, it is time to exchange severance packages according to the agreed upon terms of our spark bond contract."

Ophidelle then pulled a purple diskette out from her subspace, and Leodox pulled out a red diskette from his subspace. They marched toward each other like toy soldiers on a cuckoo clock, swiftly extended the diskettes with their left hands, and took the offered diskettes in their right hands. The exchange was stiff, formal, and ritualistic. Then they stepped back from each other two steps each.

Ophidelle fed the red diskette into a slot in her chest plate, and Leodox fed the purple diskette into a slot in his helm.

After he was sure their business was completed, Skywarp finally felt free to ask his sister something that was bothering him.

"Ophidelle?" Skywarp's voice was quiet but strong, "Why is your Decepticon sigil on the inside of your chassis instead of the outside?"

"I'm surprised you bothered to look," Ophidelle said with a hint of amusement, "I told you Skywarp, I am a spy. I cannot announce my faction to the world. Most mechs who see me believe I am a neutral. I intend to keep it that way."

"Is that why your optics are green now?" Skywarp asked dejectedly, "Your scarlet red optics were beautiful. Why would you defile yourself like that?"

"Again, my cover," Ophidelle replied; a hint of impatience lacing her words, "Skywarp, I know my job bothers you. I know my bond bothers you. I am sorry if I make you uncomfortable, but you are a Decepticon warrior. Get over it."

Despite himself, her tone made Skywarp smirk. She was right! He could handle any obstacle life shoved in his way! Besides, this was a good thing. He had his sister back and she was still a Decepticon. Not only that, but she severed ties with that filthy Autobot scum. Everything would be fine.

"I will miss you, my love," Ophidelle said to Leodox.

"I'll miss you too, my dear," Leodox replied with a sad smile, "Take care of yourself."

"Oh, Leodox, there is one more thing I want to say before I go," Ophidelle suddenly said, "I want you to be happy in your new life, so...I give you my permission to find a new bond mate."

" _What_?" Leodox choked, "You want me to shop for a new Femme? How can you even _suggest_ that?"

"You are older than me, Leodox," Ophidelle said as if that answer alone should explain it, but she continued, "You will need more energy to survive. Another bond mate will solve that problem. Besides, if you fall in love again I do not want you to think you owe me any sort of loyalty. You are free to do what you wish with your life. Just...Take care of yourself, and be there for Bumblebee."

"I will dearest. I will," Leodox whispered.

"Can we go now?" Skywarp whined impatiently.

"Yes, Skywarp. We can go now," Ophidelle replied longsufferingly.

Skywarp then transformed into his jet mode, and Ophidelle transformed into her helicopter mode. Leodox watched them fly away, and he didn't stop watching until they could no longer be seen on the horizon. The sky was just starting to reveal its first light, and it made the pair of silhouettes look majestic as they flew away.

Leodox sighed, clutched his chest, and sighed again. This was the first time he had ever felt this way. He still felt two sparks, his own and Bumblebee's, but his spark chamber still felt so empty.

"Why did I let her go?" Leodox whispered into the air as he stared over the cliff.

Nothing out there could answer him, so he shook his helm and turned back into his truck form. He drove away and returned to the Ark; his spark feeling both heavy and empty at the same time.

"Well," Leodox said to himself as he pulled up into the Ark, "I guess I better get this severance package to Optimus Prime."


	12. The Grand Tour

_Author's Note: This chapter took a little longer to finish than I expected, but I guess it could be worse. A long time for me is a few days, so I guess not everyone would consider that too long. Anyway, please remember to rate, favorite, and follow :)_

* * *

Chapter 12

The Grand Tour

"Hey Skywarp! Slow down again!" Ophidelle called out for what must've been the fifth time in an hour.

The pair of Decepticons were over the ocean and getting closer to the Victory. The whole way they would alternate between idle chatter and Skywarp going too fast for Ophidelle to catch up.

"Seriously Sis, when did you get so slow?" Skywarp teased.

"It is not my fault!" Ophidelle snapped defensively, "Leodox is the one who picked this stupid heli-copter alt mode! I hate heli-copters! They are slow and tiny!"

"You better not let Vortex catch you saying that," Skywarp smirked, "His alt mode is a helicopter."

"Vortex? The Combaticon?" Ophidelle asked incredulously, "I am surprised Megatron would keep those traitors around after they nearly trampled one of his major bases on Cybertron!"

"They claim to be totally loyal to Megatron now," Skywarp explained, "Of course I'm still pretty sure that Swindle's loyalty goes to whoever can pay for it!"

"That can be an advantage when you have enough credits," Ophidelle observed.

They flew on in silence for a few more minutes. Ophidelle finally stopped trying so hard to catch up to Skywarp. She knew it was pointless. He was one of the fastest flyers on Cybertron; bested only by Starscream if she recalled correctly. Instead of working her razors to the nub trying to catch the much faster Seeker, Ophidelle instead decided to get a good look at her surroundings.

She had never seen so much water on any planet! She had seen water before, but on this planet one could go for days without ever seeing land! The morning sun made the fluid below glisten like crackling sparks against the purest blue energon. The planet's atmosphere made the sky look as blue and pure as the water below; as if they were two parts of an all-enveloping orb. With no barrier to stop a mech from flying straight into space the sky seemed even more open and inviting. She hoped Megatron would conquer this world soon. It would be paradise for Seekers like her brother and other fliers like her.

A flash of purple appeared beside her as Skywarp teleported to where she was.

"Hey, stop lagging!" Skywarp ordered, "We're almost there!"

"I apologize, Skywarp," Ophidelle replied diplomatically.

"Say Ophidelle, the last time I took shore leave to Cybertron was two earth years ago. What's the situation on the planet now?"

"Dire," Ophidelle answered matter-of-factly, "Many mechs and femmes are starving, and most of the major cities are tearing themselves apart. Actually, if I am honest, there are not many Femmes remaining on Cybertron. Those that could leave did so, and others have sold their bodies for whatever energon they can get. The ones with no skills and even a hint of dignity simply died. I am alive because I am useful to the Decepticon cause, but many Femmes remain neutral."

"Frag," Skywarp cursed dryly, "Well, when we take this planet from the Autobots we'll have enough energon to bathe in it!"

Ophidelle smiled at his words, but there was a shadow of sadness in that smile as well. Leodox would never see reason. He would die an Autobot. Bumblebee...He was so brave, and so naive. He was just like his father. Would he switch sides if the Autobots lost their advantage on this world? Would he join her? Did she even want him to? There were too many variables in her life, but she had to push them aside for now.

Skywarp stopped in his tracks, and Ophidelle had to sputter to a stop to avoid hitting him! Suddenly, a purple spire emerged from the water; still glittering with the droplets of salty liquid. This was it! The _Victory_! Megatron's command center on earth!

The docking bay doors opened, and the pair of Decepticons entered into the dimly lit platform. The doors closed behind them, and Ophidelle could feel the ship being lowered back into the bottom of the ocean.

The first thing she noticed was that it was cold. She supposed that was because they were so far below sea level. It would make sense, she supposed, for them to not waste resources making it comfortable for warriors that should be used to harsh conditions by now.

"Welcome back, Skywarp," came the smooth voice of Onslaught, "I see you have a prisoner in tow, and such a lovely captive at that."

"She's not a prisoner, slag head!" Skywarp snapped, "She's an informant."

"Whatever," Onslaught sighed as he waved them away, "I shall tell Megatron to expect you and your _informant_."

Skywarp rolled his optics at the Combaticon leader and took Ophidelle's servo to lead her down the hall. He didn't want her to get separated from him.

"Uh, Ophidelle...how do I put this?" Skywarp said hesitantly, "The troops here on the base, uh...Well, it's been a long time since they've seen a Femme up close, and...I don't think you should wander around by yourself."

"You're afraid they'll attack me," Ophidelle deduced, "Brother, you do not need to be my chaperone. Believe it or not, there are perverts on Cybertron as well. In fact, it is worse there because those mechs do not have a task to focus their attention on. I will be careful, and I will be fine. Do not worry about me so much."

"I'm not worried," Skywarp lied, "I just don't want you to…"

He couldn't finish what he was going to say due to not knowing how to not sound too sappy while saying it. Fortunately, he didn't have to. They had finally arrived at the control room. The Reflectors were at the monitors, Megatron was on his throne with Starscream at his right side, and Soundwave and Ravage were under a console performing repairs.

The best word to describe Ophidelle in that moment was _starstruck_. She was awed by so many powerful Decepticons gathered in one place, and especially by the mech at the center of it all, the Slag-Maker himself... _Megatron_.

Skywarp took a couple steps into the room and stood at attention in front of his leader, but Ophidelle didn't leave the doorway. She couldn't move just yet. She felt like such an idiot for being this easy to impress. She had worked directly under Shockwave for eons, and he was as much as the de facto ruler of Cybertron until Megatron returned to them, but this was different. Megatron was the gladiator with the power and passion to rule. The lowly worker that united an oppressed group of Cybertronians under a single banner and overthrew the council...and he was sitting _right there_ in front of her! This mech's word was law, and if she made the wrong impression then she stood no chance of recovery.

"Skywarp, report," Megatron ordered.

"Sir, I return with news concerning the supposed Autobot recruits," Skywarp said in a clipped formal tone Ophidelle wasn't used to hearing from him.

" _Supposed_?" Megatron immediately picked up on that word.

"Sir, the Femme is in fact one of Shockwave's spies and has returned to us with new information regarding the Autobot forces on Cybertron," Skywarp replied as he made a hand gesture to indicate Ophidelle.

All eyes then turned to Ophidelle, and she forced her face to remain a blank mask. It would do her no good to show the nervousness she felt. Megatron regarded her with a look that could only be described as disdain or disgust. She wanted to shrink away from that judgmental gaze, but instead stood as straight as possible as she slowly walked closer to the throne.

"Well?" Megatron asked impatiently when she said nothing, "What do you have for me? Report!"

Ophidelle quickly ejected the severance disk from her chassis and handed it to Megatron; bowing slightly as she did so. Megatron turned the little red diskette this way and that in his servo as he regarded it with a keen optic. Finally, he said "This is Autobot in design."

"I have a contact," Ophidelle replied vaguely, "This should contain the defenses of Iacon, Helex, Tarn, and the location of several neutral colony mines not currently found on any Decepticon maps. There may also be personal pictures in there, just to let you know. The disk once contained the mech's family records and I could not override them."

"You're kidding, right?" Starscream asked in a deadpan voice.

Ophidelle almost flinched, but held back. She had been so focused on Megatron that she forgot the red and silver Seeker was even there!

"Hm...Soundwave! Inspect this disk immediately!" Megatron commanded.

"Yes, Megatron," Soundwave replied in his mechanical monotone voice.

Ophidelle turned to get a closer look at the communications officer, but something else attracted her attention. Ravage was standing just a few feet away from her, his yellow eyes looking at her with curiosity; analyzing her every motion. She could see the keen optics of a spy unit, and somehow that endeared the little Cassetticon to her.

"Excuse me, sir?" Ophidelle addressed Soundwave, "Is that your creation?"

"Yes," Soundwave replied abruptly despite the lack of tone in his voice.

"He has a lovely design," Ophidelle remarked, "Is he a Vector Sigma creation or a spark-bonded creation?"

"Vector Sigma," Soundwave replied as he fed the disk into his chest compartment for analysis.

"Femme!" Megatron bellowed; forcing her back to attention, "What is your designation?"

"Ophidelle."

"Well Ophidelle, do you believe the Autobots suspect you of spying on them?" Megatron asked intently.

"I do not know, sir," Ophidelle replied honestly, "I suspect Jazz may know. He is a very competent saboteur. If he catches on then it will not be long before the Prime finds out."

"I see…" Megatron pondered her words for a moment before finally saying, "It seems you will be of no more use to me on earth. You will take the next space bridge back to Cybertron in 5 solar cycles."

"Yes, sir," Ophidelle replied without question.

"Good," Megatron nodded; a grin slowly creeping across his face as he thought about the diskette, "Skywarp! Find an available room for the spy to recharge in and report back to me for further instructions!"

"Yes, Lord Megatron," Skywarp replied obsequiously.

Megatron dismissed them, and Skywarp once again took Ophidelle's servo and led her away from the control room and out into the halls of the Victory. She knew she wouldn't be on earth much longer, and frankly that was fine with her, but she would enjoy the time she had left with Skywarp under their leader's command.

* * *

Bumblebee was still feeling down when the morning came. He hadn't seen his creators since the night before, and frankly he wasn't sure he wanted to. He knew they were making a mistake, but he also knew he behaved childishly when they told him the news about their severing. Still, what was he supposed to say? They were his creators, and he knew this severing would hurt them. He still didn't understand why they were doing this when it could damage them!

When he went into the monitor room to guard Teletran I he saw Spike was there watching a video from a previous fight between the Autobots and the Decepticons. It was at a part where Megatron and Optimus Prime were slinging their energy weapons at each other; Megatron's a mace and Optimus's an axe.

"What are you watching, Spike?" Bumblebee asked casually.

"I'm watching one of the early fights between you guys and the Decepticons," Spike replied as expected, "I was watching, and I noticed that Megatron and Optimus are both right handed."

"So?" Bumblebee asked; confused.

"Well, both of your parents are left handed," Spike explained, "I just wanted to know which way was more common: favoring the left hand or the right."

"Father is right handed," Bumblebee said; throwing Spike for a loop, "He uses his left hand most often because of Mother. When two sparks bond they become part of the same unit; like a Gestalt unit or a trine. Mother and Father picked up a lot of each other's habits. Truth is though, I'm pretty sure left-handedness is rare on Cybertron. In fact, the idea of favoring one hand over the other is strange."

"Oh," was all Spike could think of to say in reply.

Just then they heard footsteps and turned around to see Leodox walking in to greet them. His smiled, but it wasn't the same lighthearted smile from before. Now his smile looked tired; forced.

"Hey, Bumblebee," Leodox said easily as he stood next to the monitor, "Hey, Spike. How are you younglings getting along?"

"We're fine. How's Mother?" Bumblebee asked.

"She left last night," Leodox informed them, "She and I severed, exchanged personal effects according to our severance contract, and she hitched a ride back home. It's for the best that she didn't stay. I don't think she was very comfortable accepting the charity of others."

"Why did you and Mother sever?" Bumblebee asked in a calmer voice than he felt inside, "You never told me the reason why. I promise I'll accept whatever that reason is, but I have to know. What happened?"

Leodox deflated with those words. He looked so hurt that Bumblebee almost wanted to take it all back, but he couldn't. His parents had the ideal spark bond in his mind, and he needed to understand what happened to change that.

Bumblebee wouldn't get his answer then, however. Smokescreen came into the room and said "Leodox. Could you come with me for a few moments? I need to talk to you about something."

"Well sure," Leodox replied amiably, "What's all this about?"

"I can't talk freely here," Smokescreen replied vaguely, "Come with me please."

Bumblebee didn't like the tone of voice Smokescreen was using. He knew Smokescreen was their resident psychiatrist, and he also knew his father could use a shoulder to cry on, but this was different. That voice sounded more like Prowl when he was about to haul someone into the brig. Something was very wrong!

Leodox left without a word. Everything happened so fast that Bumblebee couldn't quite process it. What was going on with his father?

* * *

Ophidelle and Skywarp sat in the rec room drinking high grade together. It had been so long since Ophidelle had tasted high grade that her system almost purged it back up when she tried to drink it! The room was crowded with mechs getting their daily energon rations, but their high grade was some from Skywarp's hidden stash. He told her he wanted to drink it in the rec room so she could get a feel for the Victory, but she had a feeling this had more to do with a prank he had in mind than trying to help her feel better.

"So after this what do you want to see?" Skywarp asked as he chugged down his second cube, "Maybe the labs?"

"I do not do well with sensitive equipment," Ophidelle reminded him.

"Yeah, me neither," Skywarp agreed, "I don't know why 'Screamer's so interested in that scrap anyway! How about the training center? The Stunticons should be out by the time we get there."

"Who are the Stunticons?" Ophidelle asked.

She was used to knowing who everyone in the Decepticon army was. It was weird for her to realize there was an unknown element on board this ship.

"Ah, there just a Gestalt unit created by Megatron using earth vehicles as protoforms. He used the Vector Sigma to give them sparks," Skywarp explained dismissively, "They're just a bunch of cocky wannabes that do nothing but destroy roads and fight each other."

"Megatron has _creations_?" Ophidelle replied; flabbergasted, "I had no idea he was a father!"

"It's not as exciting as all that," Skywarp waved away her words as he ripped open his third cube, "He made them with adult forms. They were never sparklings. Besides, he only made them for the war effort."

"Our father only made us for the war effort," Ophidelle replied softly as she sipped the contents of her second cube.

Her melancholy was suddenly interrupted by a pair of servos landing firmly on the table across from her and Skywarp. She looked up to see a purple and tan Triple Changer leering back at her. She tried to recall the crew roster...Blitzwing. Yes, this Triple Changer had to be Blitzwing. Not the smartest mech, but very powerful.

"So the rumors are true," Blitzwing stated as he looked over Ophidelle, "We have a Femme on board the ship. The name's Blitzwing. I'm glad to have another Triple Changer around...Especially one with curves in all the right places," he said with a wink.

This boorish mech was getting way too personal way too fast for Ophidelle's liking, but she didn't want to outright insult one of Megatron's chosen warriors. She needed to find something to say that would be diplomatic yet not flirtatious.

Finally, with a neutral tone of voice, Ophidelle said "I like your colors, Blitzwing. I've always been partial to purple...Though I must wonder how well that serves as a disguise on a planet where most tanks are green."

"I also turn into a spaceship…" Blitzwing replied; trying to make his voice sound tempting.

"Back off, slag head!" Skywarp snapped; finally tired of the banter, "Ophidelle needs to get back to her quarters. She has a lot of work to do for Megatron!"

"Let me guess, you saw the new piece of hardware on board and you want to swipe her for yourself," Blitzwing growled accusingly, "Let me tell you something sweet spark, Skywarp uses Femmes like they were oil rags. Rubs 'em dry and then throws 'em away when he can no longer use them. Do yourself a favor and stick with a mech who'll appreciate you. Someone like me."

"Megatron ordered me to take her to her quarters!" Skywarp argued, "Besides, she's my sister! And there's no way I'm gonna let her get slagged by a lowlife like you! So I suggest you leave us alone."

"Skywarp is right, it is getting late," Ophidelle said calmly in hopes of avoiding the fight that was threatening to break out, "Goodbye, Blitzwing. It was lovely meeting you."

Ophidelle took her cube and stood up to leave; Skywarp keeping a close optic on her the entire time. Her first day aboard the Victory was turning out to be a rough one. It was like being the only Femme in an all-mech prison!

As they drew closer to her quarters, Skywarp whispered "So, um...You weren't actually interested in him, were you?"

"Not really," Ophidelle shrugged, "Blitzwing is not a bad looking mech, but I am not looking for a relationship right now. I haven't even been severed for a full solar cycle and it seems unfaithful to not give myself time to grieve the loss of my spark bond. Perhaps in time I will bond with another, but not right now."

"What if Megatron was interested in you?" Skywarp asked curiously.

"That's different," Ophidelle replied matter-of-factly, " _No one_ refuses Megatron. His word is law, and if he wanted me then there is nothing I could do to stop him."

Skywarp mulled over those words, and realized that she was probably right. Slag, Megatron probably had a large harem somewhere on Cybertron that no one knew about! Skywarp realized how vulnerable this left his sister, and that terrified him, because he knew that he would do nothing to help her should an event like this occur. Like Ophidelle, he too would never refuse Megatron anything; not even his sister...


	13. A Match Made In The Pit

_Author's Note: Well, this was another chapter that took a while to complete. I guess I've just been busy lately. A fair warning though, while there is nothing gory or explicit in this chapter, things do get a little intense. Thanks to everyone who has read this story :)_

* * *

Chapter 13

A Match Made in The Pit

Smokescreen and Leodox sat across from each other at a small table. The room was bare save for the table and chairs, yet the orange color still made it feel cramped and small. Leodox had seen rooms like this before. They were usually for questioning a mech before their arrest. It wasn't hard to guess why they brought him here, and he was grateful in that moment that Ophidelle had chosen not to stay.

"Leodox, do you know why you are here?" Smokescreen asked pointedly.

The Racer knew that Leodox might be ignorant of his ex-mate's involvement with the Decepticons, and didn't want to needlessly give away information. Still, if Leodox did know something then a proper bluff might give Smokescreen the information he needed regarding her whereabouts.

"I can only guess," Leodox replied evasively, "So long as I am here though, I have a little something I wanted to pass along to Optimus Prime. Would you be so kind as to give this to him?"

Leodox then handed Smokescreen the little purple diskette. Smokescreen didn't know what to say at first. The diskette was clearly of Decepticon design, but was Leodox working for the 'Cons or against them? Why give this to Prime?

"What does this file contain?" Smokescreen asked after a minute of awkward silence.

"It contains The locations of energon storage warehouses kept by the Decepticons, areas where security is lacking in the cities of Polyhex, Kaon, and Tarn, and schematics for some of Shockwave's newest weapons as well as experiments. There's enough information in there to keep the high command busy for orns!" Leodox explained, "Oh, and I suggest you take full advantage of that disk, because things are about to get messy. The 'Cons have received a similar disk from their informant."

"Ophidelle?" Smokescreen guessed.

"So you know..." Leodox deduced, "I figured as much when you brought me here. It's not my problem anymore though. We're severed, and we'll probably never see each other again. The disks were part of a legal agreement we signed. We promised to mutually exchange our two factions' most sensitive information to each other if we should ever sever our sparks. Of course, we only signed the agreement as a way to keep ourselves from severing, but circumstances forced our hand."

"So this information is worthless unless we _don't_ use it?" Smokescreen said in a derisive tone, "Your information only serves to keep us at a standstill in the war effort. That almost seems worse than treason in my opinion. At least a traitor hopes to gain something, even if it is for the other faction. You and your bondmate only serve to undermine both sides and force both factions to spend our resources and weaponry pointlessly. What could you possibly hope to gain from this?"

"Trust," Leodox replied unapologetically, "My spark mate and I had a 7 million year ceasefire. The Autobots and the Decepticons never managed that. Do you know why? Because you don't trust each other. You can't. I'm not blaming you of course. It's the 'Cons fault we're in this mess. I know that. Still, my bond with Ophidelle proved to me that peace between our peoples is possible. I have given all I can to our cause, and I will accept whatever judgement awaits me, but I regret nothing I've done for my spark bond or for my family. I only hope something in that disk will serve our cause. She would have never begrudged me that, despite what she believes. She was a great spark mate..."

Smokescreen noticed how conflicted Leodox sounded. This wasn't the voice of a vengeful lover that had his Femme stolen from him. It wasn't even the voice of a mech that dumped a Femme he considered a poor match. No, this was a mech that was sparkbroken and already speaking of his bonded with rose-colored memories and sorrow. It was almost as if she were dead instead of severed from him.

"Leodox, may I ask you something?" Smokescreen tried to sound friendly in hopes of gaining more useful information from Leodox, but first he would play a hunch he had, "Why did you sever your spark? You clearly love your bonded, and she seemed to adore you, so why would you work so hard to get away from her?"

Leodox sighed heavily at that question. Bumblebee had asked him a few times, but he couldn't talk to his son about this. Bumblebee would never understand, and it wasn't just because he was young. Bumblebee lived by the same rigid Autobot code that had guided Leodox most of his life. He lived by the code of freedom, honor, and standing up for what you believe in. Most importantly though, Bumblebee would never understand because he never had to protect a family of his own.

Leodox sighed again and looked at the blue and red Racer sitting across from him. He finally had a chance to get this heavy weight off his chest. He had the chance to let someone else know about his troubles, and the injustice that was occurring on Cybertron!

"Smokescreen...We're outlaws now, you know that, right?" Leodox said; causing the other mech to look at him in shock, "It's been 4 million years since Optimus Prime and Megatron left Cybertron. During that time the famine got worse, and the war raged on. Shockwave kept the Decepticons organized, while our own forces hid in the shadows and barely survived. Autobots are an endangered species, my friend. The only thing that keeps us going is hope. The return of the Prime meant our people had a chance to regain what we've lost, but the return of Megatron meant harsher rule and more oppressive laws put into effect…"

Leodox's eyes looked far away in that moment. It was as if he were staring back at the moment his world fell apart. He could picture the wails and cries in Iacon when the citizens found out Megatron was back. He also remembered his wife's beaming face when she talked about Shockwave receiving the transmission from the warlord himself. He was only cheered by the news of Optimus's survival. That news became even better when they found out who was on that ship with the Prime...Their son Bumblebee! That was one bit of news he and Ophidelle could celebrate together.

"...I don't know if you understand this or not, but Megatron _rules_ Cybertron," Leodox said cryptically, "By being an Autobot I am considered a traitor to my planet. I do not regret this, but it has made life difficult over the vorns. Megatron is king, and as king he is free to instate whatever laws he wants...Including the anti-fraternization act. This law forbids Decepticons to bond with Autobots, and older bonds would not be exempt from this law. If Ophidelle and I were caught together, we would both be executed for high treason. The law did not go into effect until after Ophidelle and I arrived on earth. So long as we are severed by the time we go back...Part of me didn't want to do it, but I could not risk Ophidelle's life for this."

"Hm…" Smokescreen pondered what was just said to him, and then asked "So how did you know the law was going to go into effect soon? Megatron doesn't exactly like to warn his enemies when he's going to strike."

"Shockwave informed Ophidelle," Leodox replied, "She is one of his operatives, and despite the fact that they rarely talk about anything besides work he seems to think of her as a friend. At the very least he respects her usefulness to him."

"Do you believe they would have accepted your bond to Ophidelle if you had joined the Decepticons?" Smokescreen asked pointedly.

"I would _never_ join the 'Cons!" Leodox exploded at that; the pent-up frustration coming out in that moment, "I am _not_ a Decepticon! I know what you must think of me now, but I would never betray our people! Not even now when it looks like we're about to be wiped out in a sweeping genocide! All I wanted was to live my life with my spark mate by my side, but thanks to Megatron I've lost her! If it weren't for my son I would have no reason to live! I feel like my life force has been drained from my body! How am I supposed to survive like this? Should I even _try_ to survive like this?!"

Leodox took in several intakes of air to cool his overheating systems. It felt like his last bit of energy was spent on that tantrum; like a star glowing brighter just before it goes nova and fizzles out of existence. He was tired, he was angry, and he knew the Autobots would probably label him a traitor. The Autobots still executed traitors. He wondered if he should be frightened or relieved by that thought.

"Leodox...I cannot guarantee anything, but I will try to convince the Prime to let you go," Smokescreen said sincerely, "I know this has been hard on you. I also know you can't be a bad mech. If you were, then Bumblebee couldn't have turned out to be the fine upstanding mech he is today. I'll find a way to help you."

"Thank you, Smokescreen," Leodox replied with a wan smile, "Also, since I know you probably wonder: no."

"No?" Smokescreen asked; confused.

"Ophidelle would never join the Autobots," Leodox clarified, "As strongly as I believe our cause is right, she believes just as strongly that strength equals the right to rule. She believes the Decepticon victories validate their reign. Part of me is disturbed by her conviction, but I also know that there are no innocents in this war. To pretend that a Decepticon is pure evil just because of their faction is folly. Not all Autobots are righteous, and not all Decepticons are evil. We are all Cybertronians trying to make sense of a war we no longer understand but can't seem to climb out from."

Leodox sighed again and held out his wrists for Smokescreen to cuff them. He would have to spend at least one night in the brig. Still, he hoped that Optimus Prime would hear him out. If he could be welcomed here, then Leodox wanted to stay and fight against Megatron. At least that way he could help protect his son and fight against the tyrant that stole his beloved Ophidelle from him.

* * *

Ophidelle awoke with such a hangover! Skywarp was asleep in her berth; his engines causing a loud snoring noise. She realized that she must've passed out on the floor. While she had only had 3 cubes of high grade, Skywarp had probably drank 7 or 8! Still, her system wasn't used to it anymore. Pit, her system probably wasn't used to energon _at all_ after vorns of a near-starvation diet.

She set about her morning routine of straightening and cleaning her room before it was time for duty. It was easier to clean since there was nothing in the room except a berth, a desk, and a computer terminal. Really, the most difficult part was trying to lift Skywarp's pedes back onto the berth so he could sleep in a more comfortable position.

"By the matrix...He looks like one of those starfish things I've seen sticking to the windows," Ophidelle muttered as she looked at Skywarp sprawled out on her berth.

Satisfied that the room was clean, she mentally checked off what she needed to do next.

 _Let's see…_ Ophidelle thought to herself. _Clean quarters? Check. Then I need to clean myself at the wash racks, wake up Skywarp, and then report for duty. I hope Megatron gives me something interesting to do while I'm here. I don't think he likes me very much. I wonder what I said to offend him…?_

Ophidelle feared that she wouldn't fit in with the crew of the Victory. Sure, she was a spy back on Cybertron, but she usually worked alone. She wasn't used to dealing with hardened soldiers anymore. The last combat unit she was in was from before her marriage! Which brought up another problem: namely, that Ophidelle was used to acting like a house-femme. She took care of people, and had a hard time turning off her nurture-based programming. She wasn't used to being single yet.

Humming the trine song as she walked, she eventually made her way to the wash racks, which were blessedly empty. She didn't feel like watching some mech wash his afterburners in the stall next to her. Sighing deeply to take in the warm air around her, she turned on the water and started to scrub away the stench of Autobot that had been there for the better part of an orn.

 _I should have brought Leodox with me_ … Ophidelle thought with a wicked smirk. _I had to listen to Optimus Prime babble on about humans and Autobot integrity for 3 hours that one day! It would serve him right to have to spend time with Megatron...Just to get back at him…_

Ophidelle chuckled softly at her imagings of what such a meeting would look like. She didn't have a lot in common with Skywarp, but one thing she did share with him was a perverse sense of humor. At one point she found herself imagining Megatron shaking hands with someone like humans do and then his arm cannon misfiring!

She allowed her mind to wander as the warm cleaning fluid dripped down her chrome plating. Even in her home in Iacon they didn't have temperature control on their wash rack faucet! It felt like such a luxury to relax as she cleaned herself.

Her mind was brought back to reality when she heard the faucet next to hers turn on and then heard the most off-key nails-on-chalkboard singing known to mech kind!

Starscream was in the stall next to hers, and he was singing some random ballad about the streets of Vos being decorated with corpses. To anyone else the song would've been creepy, and to anyone else the horrible screeching voice would've been unbearable, but Ophidelle had other problems to worry about; namely how to get out without attracting too much attention. She was aware of Starscream's reputation as a user and an assassin. No way was she sticking around to test that rumor!

Quickly drying herself off, Ophidelle snuck away from the wash racks and made her way carefully down the hall. Her mind was trying to focus back to the task at hand. She needed to wake up Skywarp so he wouldn't miss his shift. She tried to stay on track, but then she bumped into a mech as she turned a corner in the hall!

"Hey watch it ya bum, I outta- Oh! Hello there, sweet spark!" Blitzwing said after he realized who had bumped into him, "I didn't realize angels lived underwater. I guess you learn somethin' new every day."

"I do not know what is _angel_ ," Ophidelle stated as she regarded Blitzwing with a look of bored disinterest.

Blitzwing about to give a smooth answer when a screeching voice hollered "Blitzwing! You're supposed to be monitoring the cameras in Central City for signs of Autobot activity!"

Ophidelle didn't have to turn around to realize who was behind her. She wondered how Starscream was able to finish up so fast when it took her nearly a half joor to wash off. To be fair though, he probably took the warm cleaning fluid for granted at this point.

"I was just going there!" Blitzwing snapped defensively, "Geez, gimme a break!"

"I'll give you a break in your cannon joints if you don't get back to work immediately!" Starscream yelled caustically.

Blitzwing grumbled under his breath but stomped off anyway. It seemed like there was always a Seeker there to ruin his fun.

Ophidelle tried to walk away without acknowledging either mech, but Starscream pulled her back by the wrist before she could get three good steps in. She wasn't sure if his actions were chivalrous or malicious, but one look at the hunger in his optics told her everything she needed to know. He pushed her against the walls and leered at her with intent. She tried to think of a way out of this uncomfortable situation.

"I need to make certain Skywarp is ready for his shift," Ophidelle said with a tone that was too harsh to sound neutral; hard as she tried.

"That Blitzwing just doesn't know when to quit, does he?" Starscream asked as if he hadn't even heard her, "He should know better by now. I'm second in command, and someday I'll be leader, so it's only fair that I get first pick of any available Femmes. _You_ know better than to cross me though...don't you?"

The dark undertones of his words weren't exactly subtle in Ophidelle's opinion. She always hated it when mechs tried to be subtle but just made themselves even more obvious. Starscream had his servo on the curve of her hip joint, and she felt like bugs were crawling inside her systems! She wanted to spray acid in his smug face, but he was Megatron's right-hand mech. She would be killed for even trying! She never realized how lucky she was that Shockwave had never been interested in her. All he ever cared about was the results of her work, and she was missing that now more than ever!

Starscream leaned in to kiss her neck, but before he could get too close he got a comm transmission from Megatron. He stopped what he was doing to answer it, but he still had Ophidelle pinned to the wall, so she was forced to stand there and wait for him to finish.

When he got off the comm he scowled and said "Our _mighty leader_ wants us on the bridge to prepare for an energon raid. That means you too, Femme!"

Ophidelle sighed in relief and followed Starscream to the bridge. She hoped Skywarp woke up on his own, and then realized what a stupid thought that was considering she was almost violated by his trine leader! Leodox always did say she was single-minded...

"Ophidelle," Starscream suddenly said when they were almost at the bridge.

"Yes, Commander?" Ophidelle answered coolly.

"Understand one thing, Femme: for as long as you live here, you are _mine_. I don't want to hear that you've even _looked_ at another mech the wrong way. Understand?"

"I do not agree to these terms," Ophidelle said despite her fears, "I am not looking to interface with you or anyone else. It is no disrespect to you, sir. I just do not feel comfortable with temporary romances."

"You don't have a choice in the matter," Starscream said point-blank, "If I catch you with another mech I will kill you. If you refuse me then you will wish you were dead. Or would you rather Megatron know about your true relationship with Leodox?"

Ophidelle didn't say a word in reply. She knew she was beat, and he was using her own weapon against her: information. She hated Starscream. She hated him with every fiber in her cables! That being said, part of her was still impressed that he came prepared.

One thing she knew for certain though; Skywarp was right. She shouldn't go anywhere on this ship without him. She hated to admit that, but at this point self preservation took precedence over her pride. She was going to have to be more careful until she made it back to Cybertron.


	14. Confrontation

_Author's Note: This is a short chapter, but at least there's some action it in it this time. Also, I've noticed that I forgot to mention something a few chapters ago when I should've. Anyway:_

"Speaking"

 _Thoughts_

/Comm transmission/

 _Sorry. I should've mentioned that before. Anyway, on with the fic :)_

* * *

Chapter 14

Confrontation

"The _brig_? What is Father doing in the brig?!" Bumblebee couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"It don't make sense to me neither," Cliffjumper replied hurriedly, "But I'm telling you, I saw him in the brig! Sunstreaker is on guard duty right now, and after him it's Gears. I don't know what's going on! Nobody will tell me anything!"

"But why wouldn't they tell _me_?" Bumblebee asked desperately, "He's my father! Why would they lock him up? I don't get it! Oh, I wish I could tell Mother what's going on, but everytime I try her comm signal all I get is static!"

"Maybe it's just a mistake," Spike offered, "It'll probably get sorted out soon."

Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, and Spike were all three beside themselves with worry. The news that Leodox was being held in the brig wasn't received very well to say the least. All Bumblebee knew was that his parents severed their bond, his mother left, and then his father was arrested! It was too much for his poor processor to absorb so soon. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were before his parents gave him that devastating news! It was like he was losing them all over again!

Cliffjumper was just as confused. He and Leodox had worked together before the war and had even resumed their friendship when he came to the Ark. Leodox was a kind mech with a zest for life and a good humor about him. What could he have done that was so wrong?

Their thoughts were interrupted by an announcement from Optimus Prime for all off-duty mechs to report to Teletran I. That could only mean one thing...Decepticons!

Bumblebee and his friends ran down the halls, passing other mechs as they went, until they made it to the large room housing Teletran I. The screen showed a map of the eastern coastline of the United States. Optimus's face mask hid most of his expressions, but Bumblebee could still tell his leader looked stressed.

There were murmurs asking what was going on, but all Optimus had to do was lift his servo to get everyone to calm down and listen to him.

"Autobots, the Decepticons have been spotted flying toward an offshore oil rig off the coast of South Carolina," Optimus explained, "They will overtake the oil rig in 15 minutes or less. I need as many of you as are willing to volunteer so that we can keep the humans safe and prevent the Decepticons from gaining the advantage. Let's transform, and roll out!"

That was all that was needed for the Autobots to spring into action. Spike got inside Bumblebee's front seat so he could go too. It was Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, the Aerialbots, Hoist, Grapple, Beachcomber, and Ironhide. With Optimus that meant there were 12 Autobots and 1 human. Optimus only hoped that they made it there before the Decepticons killed someone.

* * *

Ophidelle hated flying in formation like this. True, she was grateful to be allowed to help the Decepticons collect energon, but she hated being near the back and staring at Astrotrain's oversized aft the whole way there! Worse, she couldn't hear anything because she was stuck in helicopter mode and couldn't hear over her own choppers! The elite trine was near the front, and she could just barely make out Skywarp on the left. It would at least be nice to see her brother in action.

They finally made it to the oil rig after what seemed like an eternity. Ophidelle looked down and saw humans pointing at them, yelling, and attempting to run away and hide themselves. She chuckled a little at how silly and cute they looked when they were terrified. Did they really think they could escape from the oil rig in time? Silly humans!

Megatron was the first to touch down, followed by the rest of his troops. The humans scattered out of the way to avoid being trampled or vaporized! Starscream stopped the turbines with his null rays and the rest of the group started loading oil into cubes to convert it to energon.

Ophidelle made sure she worked close to Skywarp. She didn't want a repeat of what happened in the hallways with Starscream, that was for sure! The hum of the engines and the clanking of the filled cubes onto the ground made for a nice rhythm, and soon Ophidelle found herself getting lost in her work just like she would back home in Iacon.

After the fifth cube, she heard one of the Reflector triplets say "Look! Autobots!"

Megatron growled and looked at the sky. Sure enough, the Autobots were there! The Aerialbots carried most of the ground vehicles, and Beachcomber carried Bumblebee and Spike! They were coming in fast, so the Decepticons started shooting! Ophidelle aimed for the sky and hoped against all hope that the others would ignore the water vehicle...for Bumblebee's sake.

"Ramjet, Thrust, Dirge! I want you three to engage the Aerialbots!" Megatron ordered, "Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp! I want you to engage the ground troops! Everyone else load up the energon cubes and return to base! Reflector, you know what to do..."

All chaos broke loose with that order! A full-on dogfight commenced in the air as the Coneheads shot at the Aerialbots and the five Autobot planes returned fire! They wove in and out of the clouds and spun on their axis like graceful gymnasts twirling a ribbon! The Coneheads were having trouble keeping up, let alone returning fire!

Megatron and Optimus Prime were grappling with each other as usual, and most of the Decepticons were loading Astrotrain up with cubes as quickly as they could. Skywarp pounded on Hoist, and Starscream was shooting at Ironhide! Thundercracker attacked Grapple, but missed his shot and was quickly fired upon by Bumblebee who came to defend his comrade!

Spike got out of the way before one of the errant shots hit him, and nearly tripped on a toolbox as he tried to find cover! He had to find some way to help his friends! He got closer to where the Decepticons were loading up the cubes, and he had to do a double take to make sure he saw what he thought he saw! It was _Ophidelle_! It was Bumblebee's mother, and she was helping the Decepticons! He wondered if that was why Leodox had been arrested.

Spike backed away slowly and tried to be quiet until he got back to the Autobots to tell them what was going on. He backed up into something hard and metal, and looked up to see Skywarp staring down at him with a wicked grin.

"Going somewhere, squishy?" Skywarp asked menacingly.

Ophidelle turned around when she heard Skywarp's voice, and saw him pick up a human. Growing bored of her task, she went over to see what was so exciting.

"No! Let me go!" Spike cried out at the top of his lungs, but that just made Skywarp squeeze him harder and nearly crush him.

Spike tried to gasp for breath, but even that was getting to be difficult! He took small breaths in an effort to stay conscious. He had to figure out how to get away!

"Skywarp, what do you have there?" Ophidelle asked curiously as she looked at the little human.

"I found the Autobots' pet!" Skywarp declared, "I'm trying to decide if I wanna make paste out of him, or just pluck off its limbs. Maybe I'll drop it from 10,000 mechano-meters in the air..."

"No...Don't…" Spike barely choked out.

"Skywarp, give him to me!" Ophidelle exclaimed frantically.

"What for?" Skywarp asked.

"Because it's Bumblebee's pet!" Ophidelle replied as she made a grab for the human, "I cannot let you crush him. My poor youngling would never forgive me if something happened to his human. It's his best friend!"

Spike felt the pressure in his sides let up as he was placed in the cold yet gentle servos of Bumblebee's mother. He looked up at her with a mixture of confusion and gratitude. He didn't know why she was with the Decepticons, but at least she managed to save him from that psychotic Seeker.

"You know, we better get going," Skywarp reminded Ophidelle, "This platform is set to explode in about 5 minutes."

" _What_?!" Spike exclaimed in panic.

"Oh yes, I nearly forgot," Ophidelle replied casually, "The Autobots will all explode in a fiery inferno. Listen brother, could you do me a favor?"

Spike couldn't hear the rest of the conversation as Ophidelle started using her comm link after that. The only thing he understood was that the oil rig was going to go up in flames and he couldn't even warn the Autobots about it! They were all going to die and he was helpless to save them!

Ophidelle petted Spike's head and then transformed all around him! Before he could register what was going on she had already turned into her helicopter alt mode and was buckling a seat belt around him to make sure he didn't run away. He noticed that the other 'Cons were leaving as well; all following Astrotrain. He looked around the cockpit, which had white leather seats for some reason, and hoped he could find something to eject his seat! He did not want to be a prisoner of the Decepticons, and if he could get down there in time then he could warn Optimus about the bomb! It was no use, however. They were already too high in the air, and he was trapped inside Ophidelle.

* * *

"Decepticons, retreat!" Megatron ordered as he flew away from the action.

The others obeyed without protest, and at first the Autobots were all happy with how everything had gone. Beachcomber had been able to rescue the human workers and get them to shore safely, there were no serious injuries among the Autobots, and the oil rig itself was still intact. Everything went very well... _Too_ well.

"Let's get out of here, Optimus. My joints are achin'," Ironhide complained.

"Ironhide, don't you think that battle was a little too easily won?" Optimus asked pensively.

"Yeah, so what? The 'Cons are cowards, and water is wet," Ironhide dismissed his leader's concerns.

"Actually, I do see a problem," Hoist spoke up, "I cannot find our old chaps Spike and Bumblebee. Where do you supposed they've run off to?"

"I couldn't imagine," Grapple answered with a shake of his helm.

Optimus looked around the platform, and Hoist was right. Bumblebee was nowhere in sight, and neither was Spike. This did not bode well. If the Decepticons had captured them then who knows what could be happening to them! Then again, it would be odd for the Decepticons to go after a prisoner as inconsequential as Bumblebee when higher ranking officers were present at the battle.

Before Optimus could think about it further though, Beachcomber comm'ed everyone.

/Hey guys!/ Beachcomber said worriedly, /I don't mean to send out negative vibes, but we have a serious situation here! I just found a bomb at the bottom of the rig, and it's rigged to explode in less than 2 minutes!/

"A bomb?" Optimus said out loud, /Aerialbots! We need assistance! Get everyone off the platform now!/

With that the five Aerialbots swooped down to collect Grapple, Hoist, Optimus, Ironhide, and Cliffjumper! Beachcomber swam out of there as quickly as he could, and as soon as everyone was out of range the whole rig lit up like a series of active volcanoes! Everything was destroyed, but fortunately no one was there to get hurt by the explosions.

They couldn't celebrate just yet, though. Bumblebee and Spike were still missing, and they had to find their friends before the Decepticons did something horrible to them!


	15. Lost And Found

_Author's Note:Yay! Another montage chapter! To be fair though, this one is longer than the last montage chapter I did. Well, this story is almost done, and I just want to thank everyone who has read it this far! Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion of: A Spark Divided! Seriously, I watched too much of this show today :P_

* * *

Chapter 15

Lost And Found

Bumblebee's helm hurt. He felt disoriented and didn't want to online his optics too quickly. He could feel that his body was stiff, and that he would probably have trouble sitting up. The last thing he remembered was being grabbed from behind by a mech, but he didn't know who it was or what happened next.

He tried to think. Bumblebee remembered being on the oil rig, shooting at one of the Seekers...Oh yeah! Thundercracker! He was shooting at Thundercracker to save Grapple! Then Thundercracker flew off, Grapple went to check on Hoist to make sure he wasn't injured, Bee felt a pair of servos grab his waist, the sun shone brighter, and then...Nothing. All he remembered was feeling sick and going temporarily blind. Was he even still on the oil rig? Was he back at the medbay?

Bumblebee felt the ground below him. It was soft, hot, and granulated. Realizing this was unfamiliar, he had to online his optics. He looked around and saw that he was on a small sandbar in the middle of the ocean! It was barely big enough to fit him in a laying down position, and it sported one lonesome palm tree. Bumblebee quickly sat up once he realized just how lost he was! He looked around, but there were no clues as to his location, and no signs of life anywhere except for a few lazy seagulls flying above him. There was nothing but ocean as far as the optic could see in every direction! No doubt about it...Bumblebee was in trouble!

He tried to think of his options. He could send out a general distress signal, but if the Decepticons were in the area they would pick it up as well. He couldn't swim away because he didn't know how far he would have to swim before he would find land again. He could try the private frequencies of each mech in his database...It would be time consuming, and they might be out of range, but it was his best bet.

He started with Optimus Prime. His leader would surely know what to do! He dialed the frequency in his head, but all he got was static. Then he tried Ratchet, but still he got nothing. Before long he had tried Ironhide, Prowl, Jazz, Silverbolt, and Hot Spot; all to no avail. He tried his father next, but then remembered that he was in the brig, which didn't matter anyway because all he got was static!

Bumblebee sighed pitifully and slumped down on his rear axle into the warm sand. He knew his only hope was a general distress signal. Still, he knew there was a chance he could be found by the Decepticons. He sighed and resigned himself to whatever would come his way. He just hoped the palm tree would provide enough cover if he had to start shooting something.

* * *

Ophidelle transformed as carefully as she could. She knew one wrong move would mean having human guts splattered all over her internals, but she couldn't risk the boy being seen by her peers. He could be killed by them, and so could she.

Spike, meanwhile, was worried. He couldn't see from inside Ophidelle's chassis, and he didn't know if she was going to turn him over to Megatron or not. Honestly, he had no idea what her game was! Was she a Decepticon spy, or an Autobot spy sneaking around trying to gather secrets about the Decepticons? Either way he knew poor Bumblebee would have a hard time dealing with whatever this situation was.

Spike could feel her footsteps rattle her body, and he wondered where they were going. He could hear muffled speech, but he didn't know who was talking except for when she spoke. This helplessness wasn't a good feeling, and still Spike wondered if the Autobots made it out of the oil rig alive or not.

Finally, the chassis opened and Ophidelle gingerly lifted him out and set him on a berth. Spike looked around. It was a small (by Cybertronian standards) room with purple walls. There was only the berth and a desk with a few things on it. Spike had seen offices that looked more lived-in than this room.

Ophidelle sat down next to him and looked down at him; waiting for him to say something. Her green optics seemed brighter than the last time he saw her, and her chrome shone brighter as well. She looked cleaner, and she looked healthier.

"Ma'am? What exactly is going on here?" Spike asked hesitantly.

"I saved you from being blown to pieces, little one," Ophidelle explained as if she were talking about the weather, "I don't know how to get you back to the Autobots just yet, so for the time being don't leave my quarters. You are on the Decepticon ship Victory, and I doubt I have to explain that my colleagues would have no problems with tearing you apart or squishing you."

"You really _are_ working for the Decepticons?" Spike asked; his voice sounding as heartbroken as if it were Bumblebee asking, "But why? Why would you work with the mechs that are trying to destroy the earth and take over Cybertron? Why would you do that to Bumblebee? Do you know how devastated he's going to be when he finds out?"

"Yes child, I know," Ophidelle replied softly, "He will hate me and everything I stand for. I am prepared for my son to disown me. At least he will still have his father. Leodox is loyal to the Autobots, so at least Bumblebee will have a clear side to choose."

"But _why_?" Spike prodded, "Why couldn't you just be an Autobot? Why couldn't you just stay with your family?"

"It is not that simple," Ophidelle said firmly, "I hate the Autobots. I hate Optimus Prime and his hypocritical regime! He speaks of freedom, yet his faction condones slavery and weakness! I am a Decepticon! As a Decepticon it is my right to dominate whatever I choose! It is my right to become more than my mere programming, and it is my purpose to serve Megatron."

Spike couldn't believe what he was hearing! Ophidelle sounded impassioned and almost crazed when she spoke of the Decepticon cause! She was a true Decepticon, and it terrified him. He was trapped underwater with a group of murderous mechs, and his life depended on a Femme that was just as fanatical as they were!

He scooted further away from her until he was sitting on the foot of the berth. She didn't seem to notice though. In fact, she was looking off into space like a zombie. He didn't know what that meant, but he wondered if he would have enough time to get away before she noticed him.

Just as he was about to jump off the berth (and possibly break his ankle), Ophidelle grabbed him again! Spike yelped in surprise, but didn't put up too much of a struggle. It would've been pointless to fight something so much stronger than him anyway.

"I just received a general distress signal from Bumblebee," Ophidelle informed Spike, "He is lost in the ocean. It seems _Captain Blinky_ couldn't be trusted to ensure my son's safety, so I am going to have to rescue him myself. Do not worry little one, I called you a sitter until I get back."

"Couldn't I go with you?" Spike asked hopefully.

"No," Ophidelle replied, "I only have enough room for Bumblebee to ride in. He will need a ride since he is trapped in the middle of the ocean. Maybe I was too harsh on Leodox for picking the heli-copter alt mode. It has turned out to be very useful."

"Wait, did you say _sitter_?" Spike suddenly remembered, "Do you mean another Decepticon is coming?"

Before Ophidelle could answer a purple light nearly blinded him for a second before it turned into the form of Skywarp! Spike involuntarily shrieked, and then a second later realized how unmanly that sounded. Still, he didn't care; he was trapped with yet another Decepticon, and he knew this one was dangerous!

"What do you want, Ophidelle?" Skywarp asked, "I was in the middle of a boxing match with Motormaster!"

"I do not know what is boxing," Ophidelle stated rather than asked, "Anyway, my son just sent a distress signal to say he is trapped on a sandbar in the middle of the ocean. Why couldn't you teleport him somewhere inhabited?"

"Hey, I got him out alive, didn't I?" Skywarp replied defensively.

"I have to go rescue him from your rescue," Ophidelle deadpanned, "In the meantime I need someone to watch the human. That's where you come in."

" _What_? You brought that thing here?" Skywarp said as he looked at Spike in disgust, " _No_ _way_ am I babysitting a stupid squishy!"

"Well, I cannot trust you to get Bumblebee to safety," Ophidelle argued, "And I would rather risk a stupid flesh creature's life than my only creation's. Just keep it out of trouble until I get back. If you need compensation, I will bring back some high grade for you. Does that make it better?"

"I don't need your energon," Skywarp grumbled, "That being said, I still expect you to bring some."

Ophidelle laughed a little at the put-upon look on Skywarp's face. She knew he was mostly just trying to get attention. It was just like when they were sparklings and he would pout if she got a bigger slice of oil cake than him.

With that, Ophidelle picked up Spike and handed him to Skywarp. She left, and poor Spike felt his heart beat hard enough to burst through his chest! He was in the servos of a sociopathic Decepticon! He knew Skywarp would probably do something awful to him, and his only defender just left him to fend for himself!

* * *

Meanwhile, the Autobots had just got back to the base to find out Bumblebee wasn't there. Optimus had hoped that Bumblebee had just gone back early, but now he knew that something bad had probably happened to him. The most likely explanation was that he had been captured by Decepticons, but they didn't know how they were going to get him back.

Prowl suggested they wait and see if Megatron contacted them with demands. Red Alert suggested beefing up security and locking themselves in the Ark indefinitely. Jazz suggested they send Mirage to infiltrate the Decepticon base. So far Jazz's idea seemed to be the one with the popular vote.

Just as they were about to ask Mirage if he would embark on this dangerous mission, Smokescreen came to Prime with a request...

"You want me to _what_?" Prime asked incredulously.

"I want you to send Leodox to retrieve Bumblebee," Smokescreen repeated.

"That is illogical," Prowl said vehemently, "Leodox is being investigated as a possible Decepticon spy and traitor to the Autobots. Why would we send him on a mission, let alone a mission that would take him directly to the Decepticons' home base?"

"He is not a traitor," Smokescreen insisted, "I have learned over the vorns to trust my gut instincts, and they're all telling me that Leodox is on the level. Besides, even if he were a traitor, he would still help us now. This is Bumblebee's _life_ we're talking about, and he won't leave his own son to die no matter what faction he's loyal to."

Optimus Prime was torn. Smokescreen was a very intelligent mech with a vast knowledge of behavioral psychology. If anyone could figure out the intentions of a mech it was him. Still, Smokescreen was also a compulsive gambler and tended to take risks where they were unnecessary. Leodox seemed like a nice enough mech, but then again Ophidelle had seemed nice as well and she turned out to be an enemy spy. Finally, Optimus reached a decision, but he still wasn't sure about it.

"Alright Smokescreen, I will send Leodox to find Bumblebee," Optimus finally said, "But only if he is accompanied by you, Mirage, and Skyfire."

"That is perfect, Prime," Smokescreen said with a grateful smile, "Those Decepticons won't know what hit them, and if they've hurt Bumblebee, then they're in for a universe of hurt!"

* * *

Ophidelle was late! She had tried to leave as soon as she received the signal, but that blasted Starscream had stopped her before she reached the hangar! Honestly, she should've been upset that he attacked her, but she was even more upset that he was keeping her from her little youngling when Bumblebee was in trouble!

 _Oh well...At least I gave as good as I got_. She thought as she remembered the acid she had sprayed on his shoulder vent. It hadn't been enough to stop him, but at least she kept some of her limited honor.

Now it was sunset, and she knew Bumblebee would need to get back to the Autobots before he ran out of energy and the cold put him into stasis lock. She transformed into her helicopter mode and left the hangar with a new determination to find her son. The coordinates of the general distress beacon had been vague, but she still thought she could find it easily. It hadn't been easy to scramble the signal after she detected it, but she believed no other Decepticon saw it before she did. If nothing else, she could follow her spark bond to find him.

She was feeling weaker, and she wouldn't be able to stay in the air for more than a few hours at a time, so she needed to find Bumblebee quickly. As she flew she looked out at the water as the sunset sent shimmering lights over the waves. It was so beautiful! If the Decepticons took over this planet, she figured she would probably retire here. Even the humans were tolerable once she got used to them.

She felt a jolt in her spark, and nearly crashed into the water! She clutched her chest and cursed Starscream again just for good measure. She then realized that her struggle wasn't the only reason her spark chamber hurt...It was the bond! Bumblebee was close!

She flew as fast as her blades would let her as she made her way to the sandbar! It didn't take long for her to spot Bumblebee. He was recharging on the sand, and he looked so peaceful there by himself on that tiny island. She knew she would have to wake him up to get him off the island, but she also knew she couldn't fly right away, so she let him recharge and transformed into her robot mode to sit next to him. She supposed she could wait a few minutes before they had to go.

* * *

Skywarp hated this human, and he was beginning to wonder if he hated his sister as well. How could she stick him with this stupid squishy earth germ? All it did was tremble and ask questions! Okay, so at first he thought the fear it showed him was kind of funny, but after a few minutes it got old really fast! Skywarp hoped Ophidelle came back before his shift. He did _not_ want that squishy pink thing in his cockpit!

Spike, meanwhile, was doing his best to be quiet and out of the way. He hated the Decepticons, but without Optimus or the other Autobots there he didn't feel brave enough to say that to Skywarp's face. He just hoped Bumblebee's mother would be back soon. She might've been a Decepticon, but at least she didn't seem to hate him. Skywarp, on the other hand, kept glaring at him and polishing his arm cannon!

"Hey, squishy!" Skywarp suddenly shouted; causing Spike to jump and yelp.

"Y-yes, sir?" Spike asked as politely as he could manage.

"Is it true that the little yellow Autobot is Ophidelle's creation?" Skywarp asked.

"Um, yes. Bumblebee," Spike stammered.

"Does he have a Sigma ability?" Skywarp asked.

"I don't think so," Spike replied cautiously, "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Skywarp shrugged as he continued to clean his weapons, "So...How old is he?"

"I don't know," Spike replied, "How old are you?"

"About 10 million years old on your planet, give or take," Skywarp casually stated, "I'm actually the youngest member of my trine. I just can't believe that wussy Autobot is Ophidelle's creation. He's nothing like her! He's a Minibot for crying out loud! I guess horns run in our family, but that's it! Almost everything else had to come from that Autobot Leodox!"

" _Our_ family?" Spike asked despite his fear, "You mean Ophidelle's family?"

"Yeah, _our_ _family_ ," Skywarp replied firmly, "You know, Ophidelle's and mine. I'm her brother. I guess you didn't know that."

Spike went bug-eyed from that statement! Skywarp was Ophidelle's...Brother? That black and purple Seeker was related to a pink and green Triple Changer? They didn't look alike, and they didn't even have the same accent!

"Wait, I just realized something!" Spike exclaimed in horror, "If you're Ophidelle's brother, then that would make you Bumblebee's _uncle_!"

Skywarp just shrugged and sub spaced his cleaning rag. He didn't feel like talking to this flesh bag anymore.

"I'm gonna go get some high grade and hang out with Thundercracker," Skywarp announced, "Don't leave this room or I'll tear your legs off!"

With that Skywarp teleported out of the room; leaving Spike alone with his thoughts. Of course only one thought seemed to want to present itself in Spike's overworked mind…

 _Bumblebee and Skywarp are_ related?

* * *

Bumblebee awoke when his systems started reading that they were below stable temperatures. He was cold, and if he remembered correctly he was still trapped on a sandbar in the middle of the ocean. He was feeling pretty low because no one had found his distres signal, but then he felt a gentle servo on his back, and he onlined his optics to see his mother sitting over him!

Her kind smile and glistening fangs brought him back to reality. He was still stuck on the sandbar, but his mother was there as well. That didn't make sense. He thought she went back to Cybertron after she and his father severed. Either way, he was glad to see her.

"Mother...How long have you been sitting there?" Bumblebee asked drowsily.

"For almost a joor," Ophidelle answered, "I needed to rest before we left for the base. I am sure the Autobots are very worried about you, so we should leave immediately. I'll transform, and you climb inside me."

Ophidelle then transformed into a helicopter again, and Bumblebee carefully climbed in and hoped he wasn't too heavy for her. She didn't seem to have any trouble lifting off, so Bumblebee breathed a sigh and relief and relaxed inside the cockpit.

"Are you feeling alright, my son?" Ophidelle asked when he didn't speak for a few minutes.

"I just...I'm glad you're here," Bumblebee finally said; deciding to not voice his woes and his questions about her returning to Cybertron, "Mother...Could you sing to me? The way you used to?"

"Of course, Bumblebee," Ophidelle replied, "I know One, Two, Three is off-limits, but I found an earth song with similar pacing; even if the beat is different…

 _Twinkle, twinkle, little star,_

 _How I wonder, what you are._

 _Up above the world so high,_

 _Like a diamond in the sky._

 _Twinkle, twinkle, little star,_

 _How I wonder, what you are…_

Ophidelle rocked from side to side in the air in an effort to keep Bumblebee relaxed. When she was working she always felt dirty and unsafe, but when she was with Bumblebee everything in her world felt right. She was still feeling weak, and her spark still hurt, but at least she was with her only creation.

"Mother?"

"Yes, Bumblebee?"

"That earth song was pretty," Bumblebee said softly, "But I want to hear our song. I don't care if a few Seekers have used it. To me it will always be our special lullaby. Please?"

"Well...Alright."

 _One, two, three._

 _Soaring through the sky…_

* * *

Skyfire hovered over the ocean as Mirage, Smokescreen, and Leodox dove down into the depths of the water to infiltrate the Decepticon base. If Bumblebee was down there, then they were going to find him and rescue him! If the Decepticons had hurt Bumblebee, then Leodox felt he would probably lose his mind. Those monsters had already taken Ophidelle from him...He would never allow them to take his son!

When they made it to the ship Mirage felt around until he found an opening to an area of the ship that had been abandoned due to water damage. He tested it to make sure there was an exit to the main part of the ship, and when he found one he motioned for the other two to follow him.

Once inside, Mirage turned invisible and went ahead of them (at least they thought he was ahead...who can tell?). Smokescreen was next, and Leodox brought up the rear. He felt so inadequate next to these mechs. They were both built for stealth, and both had Sigma abilities that made stealth even easier. He was just a working class mech with a few dull blades in his head and a rusty cannon in his subspace.

"That's strange…" Leodox suddenly whispered.

"What is it?" Smokescreen whispered back.

"I don't feel Bumblebee's spark," Leodox replied, "No wait! I do feel it, but it isn't close by. I don't think he's here…"

"Then I suggest we leave before we're noticed," Mirage hissed.

Just as they were about to turn around and go, they heard a sneeze coming from behind one of the doors!

"What the- mechs don't sneeze…" Smokescreen deduced, "Hey guys, I think they have a human here! It's probably Spike!"

" _Shh_!" Mirage reminded him, "Not so loud...Is there anyone behind the door?"

"You check it out!" Smokescreen ordered Mirage, "After all, you _are_ the invisible one!"

Mirage sighed but he complied with what Smokescreen ordered. He didn't know why. He was pretty sure he outranked Smokescreen.

He carefully opened the door (thank goodness it wasn't locked) and peered inside. Spike was sitting on a berth looking like misery itself. He had his knees curled up to his chest and was staring down at the floor with dried tears on his cheeks.

Seeing that there were no Decepticons in the room, Mirage appeared before Spike's eyes! The boy gasped and flinched, but then a wide grin crossed his face!

"Mirage!" Spike exclaimed jubilantly.

" _Shh_! Be quiet!" Mirage snapped, "We're going to return you to base. Is Bumblebee or anyone else with you?"

"No, just me," Spike whispered, "Bumblebee's mother brought me here. She's with the Decepticons! She's working for them!"

"Yes, we already know," Mirage replied solemnly, "She's a spy on Cybertron that goes by the name Silver Tongue. Well, that and many other names. Come on, we don't have much time!"

Mirage set his hands down, and Spike climbed on. They left the room to find Leodox and Smokescreen still patiently waiting and standing guard. Mirage showed them the boy, they nodded, and the four of them began their escape.

They had almost made it to the abandoned part of the ship when suddenly they heard a voice behind them say "Hey you, Autobots! _Stop_!"


	16. Till Death Do Us Spark

_Author's Note: Well, this is the last chapter of A Spark Divided! I'm pretty happy with how this chapter turned out, and I just want to say thank you to everyone who read this story. It's not as long as my novel, but it's still the longest fan fiction I've ever done. I've got a couple ideas for the next story. It'll still be Transformers G1, but it won't have main character OCs in it this time. Not saying I'll never use them again, but I don't use OCs unless the story is good enough to warrant it. Anyway, enough with the long author's note, on with the story :)_

* * *

Chapter 16

Till Death Do Us Spark

"Hey you, Autobots! _Stop_!" Frenzy yelled from behind the 3 Autobot spies and their human passenger.

They turned around to see Frenzy had an energy weapon trained on Mirage. The group looked at each other in silent confirmation, and then all nodded as one. With that Mirage disappeared!

Frenzy tried to shoot despite not being able to see a target, but of course he missed every shot, and was too focused on Mirage to think of shooting one of the other two Autobots that were clearly this distraction, Smokescreen was able to tackle Frenzy to the ground while Leodox ran off with Spike in tow!

The other two Autobots caught up to Leodox, and Frenzy sent out an alert to all Decepticons that there were Autobots in their midst!

Megatron watched the monitors as the three Autobots made their escape through the flooded area of the ship. He grew angrier by the second, and finally could take no more! He sent his elite Seeker trine after them. Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp were ordered to destroy the Autobots and take no prisoners!

When they made it above the ocean Leodox transformed into a helicopter and the others climbed into him to fly up to Skyfire! It was a difficult strain on Leodox to carry two mid-size Autobots, but somehow he made it! Skyfire was relieved they were okay and took off as soon as they were inside, but soon he realized that the Seekers were following them!

The Decepticons started shooting, and the Autobots wondered if they could get away this time! The worst part of it though, was that Bumblebee was still missing, and they began to wonder if they would ever see him again…

* * *

"Have you ever noticed that Megatron looks dead?" Ophidelle asked Bumblebee.

"What are you talking about, Mother?" Bumblebee asked obliviously.

"Well, I mean when a mech dies their shell turns grey due to the nanites inside them dying, but Megatron is already grey, so he looks like he's already dead," Ophidelle explained, "This might explain why Starscream can never tell if Megatron is really dead or merely injured. It would also explain why he looks scarier than most mechs. Humans are afraid of dead bodies too, if I remember that stupid Dracula movie correctly."

Ophidelle and Bumblebee had been puttering along in the sky for a couple hours at this point, and most of their conversations had been pointless and pleasant. The ocean was vast, and Ophidelle was slower with a passenger, so she decided to not tire herself out more than necessary and simply fly at a languid pace.

Bumblebee had never felt so at peace. He and his mother were flying slowly and he was able to look up at the stars without wondering if something would come down from there to hurt him. With his mother around he felt like nothing could hurt him. Then again, he also remembered feeling that way under the theatre in Kalis all those vorns ago...

"Bumblebee, did you hear that?" Ophidelle suddenly asked.

"Hear what?" Bumblebee asked; his trepidation growing.

"It sounds like...The null ray! That is Starscream's weapon!" Ophidelle exclaimed in a panic, "What is he shooting at out here?"

Out of instinct more than curiosity Ophidelle turned to where she heard the shooting and flew upward to get closer. Bumblebee pulled his blaster out of subspace to make sure he was ready for whatever was happening above him.

When they got there, they could see the Seekers shooting at Skyfire while two mechs were shooting at the Decepticons. Bumblebee could see that it was Smokescreen and his father!

"We've got to help them!" Bumblebee yelled over the noise of the chopper.

"This is not our fight!" Ophidelle contested, "Besides, you are not at full power! I need to get you back to base!"

"No! We need to help Father!" Bumblebee insisted, "Please! Turn around! We can't let those Decepticreeps hurt Father and Smokescreen!"

"I would say Skyfire is the one most at risk!" Ophidelle stalled.

" _Mother_!" Bumblebee snapped impatiently.

He couldn't understand why his own mother wouldn't want to rescue his father and their teammates. She seemed nervous and clearly did not want to be caught up in the fighting. It wasn't like her. Finally though, she succumbed to Bumblebee's wishes and turned to get closer to the Seekers.

Leodox, meanwhile, had transformed into helicopter mode and had started shooting at Starscream in an effort to take out the biggest threat to his comrades. His weapons weren't very effective in helicopter mode, but at least he was faster this way. Leodox missed his first few shots on Starscream, but inadvertently hit Thundercracker in the wing and sent him back into root mode!

Leodox swooped back around to once again engage Starscream, but that was a big mistake! Starscream shot him with a concussion bomb and sent the helicopter diving down into the water!

" _LEODOX_!" Ophidelle screamed at the top of her vocal processor.

She swiftly threw Bumblebee inside Skyfire and dove down to retrieve her fallen ex spark mate! Leodox had managed to transform back into robot mode, but he was sinking fast! Ophidelle transformed into robot mode as well and swam under the water to grab him and pull him back! She wasn't as good a swimmer as Leodox normally was, but she managed to pump her legs until they were up above the water! She could see Starscream was still shooting at Skyfire and getting in a few good hits on the overwhelmed shuttle! Thundercracker had retreated, but she still couldn't find Skywarp. At this point she didn't think she wanted to.

It was difficult with so much water in her system, but Ophidelle managed to turn into her helicopter mode with Leodox inside. She was barely strong enough to pull him up to Skyfire. Her spark was screaming in pain now, and her energy was draining fast! At this point she knew what that meant for her, but she didn't care! All that mattered was making sure Leodox and Bumblebee were safe, and may the Decepticons go to the Pit if they tried to stop her!

Bumblebee and Smokescreen continued to fire from the doorway of Skyfire, while Skyfire fired his weak energy weapons at Starscream! It didn't seem to make much of a difference. The red and silver Seeker was just too fast and too powerful for them! They hadn't even noticed that the other two Seekers weren't there anymore. The SIC of the Decepticons was a one-mech army when he was in the sky!

Soon they heard a helicopter engine, and Smokescreen said "Get out of the way! It's Leodox!"

"No, it's Mother!" Bumblebee corrected him as he pointed to the shiny pink copter.

Ophidelle flung herself inside when the others stepped away from the door! She quickly transformed to root mode and knelt beside her prone ex spark mate; both soaking wet and looking like something the turbo cat dragged in.

Leodox's optics flickered like fluorescent light bulbs. He was barely conscious, but he could still make out the silhouette of his beloved Ophidelle. She fussed over him with concern written all over her faceplate. They both seemed oblivious to the fighting going on outside as they stared at each other.

"O-Ophidelle?" Leodox choked out despite the water in his vents.

"Yes, my love?" Ophidelle asked as she cleaned some seaweed off his chassis.

"Do you remember when we first met...And you said your face would be the last thing I ever saw?" Leodox asked weakly.

"How could I forget?" Ophidelle replied fondly, "It was the day I met the bravest and most wonderful mech in the world."

"Well...You were right," Leodox said with a tired smile, "Your face...Will be the last thing I ever see...And I couldn't be happier with that."

"Oh, do not talk nonsense!" Ophidelle scolded him; trying to sound nonchalant, "You will be taken to Ratchet and repaired in short order. He might be a grouch, but he is also Optimus Prime's personal physician, so he must be the best."

Leodox didn't answer. His optics were already offline, but he was still conscious. He lifted a clawed left hand, and Ophidelle took it in hers. The ship rattled with the impact of another hit, but Ophidelle didn't notice it. She was focused on looking at the mech she had promised to spend the rest of her life with 7 million years ago.

He gave a muffled coughing noise. It was his body's effort to dislodge the water from his vents. That wouldn't matter though. He had been shot in the spark chamber, and though his death was slow there would be no recovery from this.

Ophidelle watched in horror as his steel blue frame slowly started going grey and stiff. Even his Autobot sigil; the only spot of color left on him, had gone grey. Leodox was gone.

Ophidelle could feel cleaning fluid building up in her optics. She was crying, and it was not only spark-wrenching but strange. She hadn't cried since she was a youngling. Even when she thought her only son had been killed in Kalis she didn't cry. At that time she had felt numb, followed by an intense anger. Bumblebee's death had hurt more than anything else in the world to her, but even then she couldn't cry. This, however, was different. This was the mech that had taught her what love felt like. This was a part of her that she could never get back. This was Leodox!

Once again, the breaking of her spark turned to anger. The mech that would claim her as a toy and a prize had killed the only mech she had ever loved! Starscream did this, and he would pay! Ophidelle knew this was irrational, but her grief overtook any sense of honor or reason she had left!

She pulled a cluster bomb out of her subspace. She knew what she had to do…

Skyfire was being overtaken by Starscream, and the other Autobots didn't know what to do. Mirage and Spike were busy trying to repair Skyfire's systems, and Bumblebee and Smokescreen were trying with all their might to land a hit on Starscream! The flyer was evading their every move, so Smokescreen decided to wait for the Seeker to fly close to the door and then shoot a blast of black smoke right in his face!

With Starscream blind in the air, he and Bumblebee started shooting in the smoke in the hopes of landing a hit! They didn't know if it was working, but they didn't have the luxury of waiting for a better chance! While they were firing, Ophidelle suddenly took Bumblebee by the shoulders and turned him around to face her!

" _Mother_! I could've shot you! What are you-?" Bumblebee started, but was cut off when Ophidelle placed a dactyl on his mouth.

"Shh...Bumblebee. I just want you to know that I am so proud of everything that you are," Ophidelle said softly as her sad green optics met his blue confused ones, "You are so much like your father. Forgive me…"

With that Ophidelle jabbed a nail-turret into Bumblebee's back! He screamed more in shock than in pain, and then began to realize what those nail turrets were for...They caused temporary paralysis!

As Bumblebee lay on the floor wondering why his mother would literally stab him in the back he caught sight of his father's dead body about 20 feet away! He screamed in horror, and out of the corner of his optics saw his mother jump out of Skyfire! He screamed " _Noooo_!" As he realized what she was about to do.

Starscream had been caught in the smoke for two or three minutes, but so far the Autobots hadn't been able to land a single hit on him. He was feeling proud of himself as gracefully dodged every beam of light that came to claim his spark. He knew the smoke would clear soon, and then he would finish off those cursed Autobots!

The smoke was almost clear. It was nothing more than a fine mist, and soon he would be ready to strike! Just as Starscream was about ready to attack, however, he saw someone jump out of Skyfire and land right on top of him!

He transformed into robot mode in an effort to shake them off, but all to no avail! Now the robot, that Femme Ophidelle, was clinging onto his chest as she stared him in the face with fierce determined optics!

"Get off me, you crazy Femme!" Starscream hollered, "We're supposed to be attacking the Autobots!"

"I see you had your shoulder vent repaired," Ophidelle replied icily, "Let us see if you can repair more... _extensive_ damages."

Starscream then noticed there was a small black bulge between her chest and his. He looked down, and saw the cluster bomb ticking down!

 _4, 3, 2, 1, 0…_

Both Decepticons went up in a fiery explosion! Smokescreen looked down at the scene in shock, and was grateful that Bumblebee couldn't get up to see this! Skywarp then appeared over the wreckage in an effort to rescue his comrades. He looked around, and could only see Starscream lying face down in the water and ready to sink! Skywarp grabbed him, and looked around for Ophidelle. All he could find of her was her mother of pearl cobra staff and a few random pieces of her internals. Unable to rescue his sister, Skywarp teleported away with his fallen air commander.

* * *

 _3 Days Later…_

The Autobots were all gathered outside the Ark for a solemn occasion. The Autobots and their humans friends sat on foldable chairs outside at sunset in front of a makeshift podium and a picture of Leodox, Ophidelle, and Bumblebee flying kites on earth. It was the only picture Bumblebee had of them.

At first, they were only going to hold a funeral service for Leodox since he was the only Autobot that had died in the battle. Bumblebee had learned from Jazz what his mother was, but after everything that had happened between them it just didn't matter to him. He insisted that both of his parents died heroes and both deserved to be honored equally. Optimus Prime agreed and allowed the service for both of them. It was a bittersweet victory for Bumblebee.

Before the funeral he had sat on his berth looking at the picture. He could see the grocery bag kite his mother had made. He remembered how irritated Sunstreaker had been, but his mother never told him why. He could see the easy smile on his father's face. He remembered those times long ago when he and his father would play outside. He remembered his mother's soft singing as she cleaned the house. He knew now that they had never stopped loving each other. They severed to protect each other from Megatron's wrath. They always did everything together...Even die.

When it was time to decide what to do with Leodox's body, most had assumed he would be sent off into space like any Autobot hero would be. Bumblebee had said he wanted to follow the human custom, however, and bury Leodox on the other side of the volcano so he could visit him.

It was time for the funeral to begin. Optimus Prime was the first to speak, and after him it would be Bumblebee. The crowd hushed as Optimus began to speak.

"Autobots, we are here this evening to mourn the loss of one of our own," Optimus began soberly, "I know that we have lost many good friends over the thousands of vorns that we've been at war, but this one especially pains me for two reasons. One, Leodox and his spark mate were the first two casualties since arriving on earth four years ago, and two, these were the creators of one of our own troops; Bumblebee. Leodox had all of the qualities of a good Autobot: tolerance, bravery, and love. He died a hero. More unexpectedly, however, was his spark mate Ophidelle. Despite the fact that she was a Decepticon, she too displayed qualities that would have made her an excellent Autobot, and she too died a hero; protecting her family. We will not forget them, and someday this war will end and we will all live in peace. Until all are one."

Several Autobots were already leaking cleaning fluid, and Carly cried on Spike's shoulder. Optimus gave a heartfelt eulogy, but many wondered if Bumblebee would even be able to say anything without breaking down. They would soon find out, as it was his turn at the podium.

Bumblebee cleared his throat and looked out at the crowd. It somehow gave him strength to see so many of his friends out there supporting him in his time of need. Still, this was not an easy time, and he knew it would be a while before he was okay. He didn't write notes for his eulogy. He knew what he wanted to say.

"Hello, everyone. I just wanted to say a few words about my creators and what they meant to me. I didn't get to spend as much time with them as a youngling should be allowed to. The war separated us a long time ago, but I carried their memories with me and found comfort in the fact that they loved me. I guess I'll have to do that again. What I remember most is what they taught me over the vorns. They taught me what loves means, they taught me about honesty and integrity, and they taught me about the importance of family. They also taught me that even when times are tough there is always time to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. They showed me that there is always time to tell stories, to sing a song...and to fly a kite…"

Bumblebee's voice cracked at that last statement, and he had to wait a few seconds before he could finish.

"In conclusion, I just want to say that I will miss them. As I lay my father to rest, I only wish that my mother could join them. My mother didn't believe in life after death. She said they were opposites for a reason. That darkness could not have life...That's what makes it darkness. I don't know. If there is something more for Cybertronians, then I hope they are together. If there is nothing, then I at least know they're not suffering anymore. Goodbye, Father. Goodbye, Mother. I'll be okay, and I'll always love you."

Bumblebee felt his legs go weak as he left the podium. He could still walk, but barely. When he went back to the front row Optimus, Ironhide, and his human friends were waiting for him. Ironhide stood up first and in an uncharacteristically sentimental moment hugged Bumblebee!

"Kid, I just want ya ta know we're here for ya," Ironhide said gruffly as he hugged Bumblebee.

"Thank you, Ironhide," Bumblebee said sincerely, "I'm glad you're here. All of you."

Bumblebee was grieving, but he also knew he had a lot to be grateful for. Ironhide had raised him after he lost his parents the first time, and he knew the weapons specialist would be there for him now. He also had Optimus; his leader and mentor. As long as they were both alive and well he knew he would be okay. He only hoped he never had to lose them, too.

* * *

/ _ **Sending Long Range Text Message** /_

 _/From: Jazz/_

 _/To: Ultra Magnus/_

 _/Subject: Decepticon Spy/_

 _/ **Jazz** : Hey, Ultra Magnus! What's up, mech? I'm sending this to let you know that there was a Decepticon agent on earth a while back. Her name was Silver Tongue. You've probably got an extensive file on her back at HQ on Cybertron. Well, first of all, she died here on earth, so you can call off any agents you had searching for her. She blew up after a bomb went off over the Pacific Ocean. Also, you're gonna need to run a few of her aliases to determine the full extent of her activity in Iacon and Polyhex. The names are: Rose Water, Silver Tongue, Acid Tongue, Denial, Candy Pop, Viper Wing, and Tailgate. Her real name was Ophidelle. You might want to check that out first. Reply with any progress you make. Jazz out./_

 _/ **Ultra Magnus** : Hello Jazz. I've got a team working on the SIlver Tongue case now. She has been posthumously charged with 73 different war crimes now that we have the full report. Also, on a personal note, did you know that Ophidelle is the Femme version of the archaic name Ophidel? It hasn't been used in hundreds of thousands of vorns since it was an insult usually directed at one's enemies. The name's modern equivalent is sometimes used for Decepticons. The new version of the name is Snake Traitor. I thought you would find that interesting. Blurry says to tell you "hi". Well, he said "HihowareyouJazzwhenareyoucomingbacktoCybertron?" but I thought that was too confusing. Hope everyone is doing well on earth. Until all are one. Ultra Magnus out./_

* * *

Skywarp sat alone in his room drinking a cube of high grade. He twirled the scepter in his servo just as he had been doing for the past 20 minutes. If he focused real hard, then he could pretend he still felt the warmth of its power in his hand. He couldn't believe that she had died. Again! She was the first Decepticon to die on earth since they got there four years ago.

He didn't even hear it when Thundercracker came into the room. The blue and grey Seeker looked at the drunken mess staring at a luminescent scepter and wondered if he should even bother him.

"Warp?" Thundercracker called softly out to him, "Skywarp. It's almost time for your shift."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. I'll be there in a breem," Skywarp said distractedly.

"Skywarp? Are you going to be alright?" Thundercracker asked; concerned.

"Sure, of course I'll be alright," Skywarp said unconvincingly, "I already lost her once. These past few days with her were just a bonus. Maybe she'll even show up again in another 7 million years to get her staff back. Heh-heh. So, how's 'Screamer?"

"Badly damaged, but he will eventually recover according to Hook," Thundercracker reported, "Don't worry, 'Warp. We will get revenge on the Autobots that did this to them. They will never know peace so long as we live!"

Skywarp just nodded and left for his duty shift. He knew Thundercracker was just trying to make him feel better, but he didn't see what Skywarp saw. Skywarp was there when Ophidelle pounced on Starscream with a bomb strapped to her chest. He saw the hatred in her optics, and realized what must have happened. When he found out the Autobots had lost Leodox, that just added fuel to his personal vendetta theory. He knew then...She didn't want to be saved.

One thing he wondered about was whether or not he'd be able to kill Bumblebee in a fight now that he knew who the Minibot was. Oh, who was he kidding? That thing was Leodox's son, and Leodox was the reason Ophidelle was dead! Of course he'd be able to kill Bumblebee! He'd do whatever it took to keep the Decepticons on top! That was why he was one of Megatron's elite! He only hoped Ophidelle was right and she couldn't see him now that she was dead.

* * *

 _Kloryll Neutral Colony_

The shuttle docked and allowed the new residents to step foot onto the beautiful new planet with the green skies overhead and shimmering silver rockbed below. There weren't many neutral Cybertronians left that could afford to leave Cybertron, but every now and then they would get an Autobot or Decepticon defector. There were many reasons for mechs to defect from their units. The most common reason for Decepticons was fear or second thoughts. The most common reason for Autobots was starvation or fear of Decepticons.

Grind Shift, the liaison for the new residents, stood in front of the shuttle and held out a residency card for each new member. They were ID cards that gave each member a new name and told them which house they would live in. Today there were only 3; two mechs and a femme.

The first mech was a rusty brown slender model that transformed into a motorcycle of some kind. His blue optics bespoke of his Autobot origin. He looked around the compound nervously. Grind shift felt for the poor guy.

"Alright then, your new name is Slipshot. You live at #4473-53. Enjoy your new life here on Kloryll," Grind Shift said quickly as he handed the brown mech his ID card.

The second one was a big green mech with a gun protruding from his back and tank treads on his legs. Red optics...Yep, former Decepticon.

"Your new name is Roadbuster, and your new residence is #85436-64. Enjoy your new life here on Kloryll."

The green Tank Former gratefully took his new ID card and stomped away, ready to start a new life away from the tyranny of his former faction.

Grind Shift looked up at the Femme that was standing in front of him and noticed that she looked like scrap! Several parts of her were covered in soot and she had loose wires hanging out haphazardly. Her hooded vents looked ready to collapse in on themselves and one of her fangs was chipped and leaking corrosive acid! She would need to see a medic immediately!

"Alright miss, your new name is Vanish and your new domicile is #9862-11. Also, you need to see our medic right away," Grind Shift told her, "Don't worry, miss. Clear Shell is a fine medic and will be able to fix you up right away."

"Thank you, kind sir," 'Vanish' said with a strange accent, "Also, I will need extra energon if it can be spared. I am carrying."

"Oh. Congratulations," Grind Shift said uneasily, "So, do you know what frame type the new-spark will be?"

"No, I do not," Vanish replied.

"Well we can figure that out for you so you start building the protoform right away," Grind Shift said a bit more excitedly, "So, what happened to the sire? Do you know where he is?"

"Honestly, I don't even know _who_ he is…" Vanish replied solemnly.

"Well, I'm not due back at the office for another few breems," Grind Shift said jovially, "I'll walk to over to the medic to make sure you're alright."

"Thank you," Vanish said quietly.

Ophidelle knew everything would be better this way. Bumblebee thought she was dead, and that was for the best. If she lived then he would have to deal with the shame of having a Decepticon mother. This way she died defending Autobots and no one would question Bumblebee's loyalty to their cause. She only hoped she took that monster Starscream out for good. With her lousy luck this new-spark was probably his!

That was something else she worried about. She didn't know if she could raise a sparkling without Leodox. She had never truly been alone before. As a youngling she had Skywarp, as a soldier she had her commander, and as a married Femme she had Leodox. For the first time in her life she had no one. She couldn't even contact Shockwave because everyone thought she was dead!

 _Scrap...No one should have to fake their own death_ twice _in one lifetime_ … Ophidelle thought as she walked further into the colony and into her new life. She only hoped Vanish would be able to raise a child as kind and brave as her first creation had been. At least she did one thing right in her life...She made Bumblebee.

 **The End**


End file.
